


Hiraeth

by Skvader



Series: The Soliloquy Saga [3]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Humor, Angst and Tragedy, Brotherhood, Brotherly Angst, Brotherly Love, Brothers, Comfort/Angst, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Fatherhood, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Heavy Angst, Twins, V is Not Part of Vergil (Devil May Cry)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 20
Words: 70,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28160040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skvader/pseuds/Skvader
Summary: After several attacks by the Prince of Darkness, Belial, the team decided to head to a distant island to see an old friend and an expert on Arcana in an attempt to try and better understand what they are up against. But will things be anything like they were once they return, or are they truly in over their heads this time? And will such powerful evil finally take its toll?Book Three in Soliloquy Saga!First Chapter on Jan 1st!Edit: The first two chapters are now out! Updates between 12-6pm CST on Wednesday and Friday each week! Welcome back!
Series: The Soliloquy Saga [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1835569
Comments: 273
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1: Delirium

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes at the end!

Chapter One: Delerium

_ “A fathomless and boundless deep,  _

_ There we wander, there we weep;  _

_ On the hungry craving wind  _

_ My Spectre follows thee behind.  _

__

_ ‘He scents thy footsteps in the snow  _

_ Wheresoever thou dost go,  _

_ Thro’ the wintry hail and rain.  _

_ When wilt thou return again?” _

-William Blake

-~-

It was winter. 

The air held it’s chill in silent occupation as the light breeze kissed the powdered snow below his feet. Between his eyes, his hair stuck to his face. How uncharacteristic of him to sweat in the snow, especially with no jacket. The tall cypress trees proved to be a lively contrast to the towering evergreens that the shared space with, gently scattering leaves in every direction. They had been falling, much like he would be soon enough. It would either be here or at the hands of his pursuers.

During the time preceding this waking nightmare, everything had been silent. Simplicity and serenity had been all that he had sought out in this place in the first place, and much to his elation, he’d found it. But after a brief honeymoon period during which he’d grown quite fond of this little hamlet, everything had come crashing down around him like it always did. In the place of silence, there had been a sudden rush of sound. He hadn’t been able to hear it from where he’d been, but he had seen it, and the growing guilt that he now felt as he stood at the precipice of his likely demise consumed everything inside him. He had been spared their fates only to meet his at the bottom of the rocks.

He told himself that it was thin ice. It was rushing water, after all. Somewhere beneath the surface was a small glimmer of hope that perhaps if he only dared to take the plunge he would have his liberation. He had to for the rest of them. After all, that was why he was standing there in the first place. Their sacrifice had been profound and selfless, and now he had a responsibility as the only one left to bring justice to those who had paved the path before him with their very blood. 

With a last tentative breath, he glanced back fearful, and then felt air rush past him. His descent had begun. As he approached the glowing white below him, everything went black. And then he opened his eyes.

Just a dream. The same dream. Would it ever just be a part of the past, something he could bury deep or burn and leave behind? Every dream found its way back to this place, and the rapture provided by the fact that his dreams were as infrequent as they were was enough in of its self to make him question his mental stability. It was nothing new, but it wasn’t any less unpleasant. The viewpoints seemed to change as he lingered in his subconscious thoughts again, whatever message he had yet to glean haunting him; forever leaving him with the sensation that more had happened back then than he could recall between the brief intervals of sanity that peppered his mind whenever he dared sleep.

But the frequency of it all…

He’d dozed off again, the allure of sleep proving once again to be more than he was capable of overcoming at this juncture. It had only been for a moment, but it had been a terrible mistake. The ceaseless pressure relented for a moment, allowing him to come back to his senses and assess his surroundings. He felt as though he was being pulled back into some nameless abyss, the edges of his consciousness blackened and unclear. Everyone was where they had been the last time that he checked, though several gazes fell upon him, more than likely taking note of his less than desirable complexion and the thin layer of clammy precipitation that had formed on his skin. He seemed to take on an eerie glow in the dim light the train car provided, the implications of something none of them fathomed clearly present and unmistakable. Something had been wrong with all of them since they’d left on this trip, little things that nagged at the edges of their subconscious. It was something that they all actively took note of, but none of them seemed to comprehend precisely what was happening to V.

As the team sat in quiet contemplation, silently assessing their available options, the quiet and predictable rhythm of the train was the only sound to penetrate the void. There was a tension to the air around them as if the very space they occupied possessed a viscosity all it’s own. Every breath felt heavy, every blink lingered; the sound of his pulse was all that he could hear. How long would they toil in this madness? How long had they already? Every second felt like an eternity at the mercy of a vengeful deity, and a part of V felt as though he was actively contributing to the nightmare that had become their natural habitat.

V tried to remember as he tried to forget.

Reality it’s self was becoming a technicality, a fleeting thing that he failed most days to grasp. And much the same he failed to comprehend the reasons behind it all. The nameless dread had become all-consuming. Air. He needed to leave this room and breath the air outside of this locomotive, however urban and polluted it might be. It was more than an urge. It had become a necessity, something intrinsic to his very survival. It had been easier to breathe when he was submerged underneath the waters of the bay that day at the ocean side, his body refusing to obey him.

A short breath and a heavy blink were what it took to finally comprehend his surroundings. The sound of footsteps and muffled voices suddenly pulled away, and he found himself slowly coming to a stop, taking in his surroundings for what had to be the first time since they’d departed, the fog had lifted and he saw everything around him with the utmost clarity and precision. There was a certain vibrancy to his surroundings again, not the dull haze that he’d once occupied. Had they mistaken his distress as mere silence, something so typical of him that no fuss was made of it?

Eyes were deceptive things, much like memory. Fleeting like dreams themselves. He rooted himself to the spot, exhaling a breath that he hadn’t noticed he’d been holding before that moment. He could see it, subconsciously noting that it wasn’t natural to be able to view his breath in such a humid environment. There was no cool air here, only dense trees and vegetation. In fact, the environment they were in was practically tropical, much to his fascination and horror. V didn’t remember coming here, but since he was standing there, that had to be the case, didn’t it? What was going on?

His sudden sense of awareness drew the gaze of those that he was traveling with, the lot of them seemingly pausing for a moment to assess his condition. They spoke amongst themselves, but he didn’t hear them, though this time it was due to the fact that he was more focused on trying to comprehend the existential horror that he felt towards his predicament, and not because of the situation itself. He felt his blood run cold as he realized that he genuinely had no comprehension as to where he was or how he had arrived here, and he didn’t truly understand how much time had passed. He grasped at faint memories of what had happened last that he could remember clearly, and nothing specific came to mind. Once he’d boarded the train, it was as though he’d totally lost his place in reality for the foreseeable future. He’d blinked and opened his eyes only to find himself where he now stood, confused and barely hiding the growing sense of panic that he felt rising up from deep within him, ready and eager to overflow.

Could he make himself speak? Did he dare?

“...  _ Where are we? What… what’s going… on? _ ”

Elation overflowed from Nero as he let out a sort of wispy wheeze, shrugging and allowing his arms to flop uselessly against his sides. He seemed to be in a state of disbelief while simultaneously expecting such a response. But in truth, the younger of the two was simply glad to hear him speak. It had been a while…

“Ya know, I was starting to think something was wrong with you. Looks like I was right.”

V registered the sound of Dante’s voice, but he couldn’t make himself physically turn to face him like he wanted to. Instead, he managed to slowly turn his head in his general direction in a gesture that wasn’t at all as benign as he’d hoped it would seem. His intention hadn’t been to give him the impression that he was glaring, but he could practically feel the sideways look that his uncle had given him, even though he didn’t fully comprehend why at that moment. His mind was working fast and slow at the same time in a strange hodgepodge of functions and fluidity that he found both exhausting and oddly calming all at once. But he got the impression that there was a darker reason for his seemingly placid demeanor.

Nero shared a look with Dante as they both gestured towards a small house that they were standing in the doorway of. It seemed to be some kind of stone and wooden cottage in a more rural area, though that was easily a mistake due to V’s current cognitive capacity and his lack of experience on such topics. At the moment, everything was hazy, and his stomach churned unsteady as he attempted to force himself to move towards the doorway. With every perceived movement that he made, he physically felt himself move backward despite the fact that he was somewhat sure he was going forward. That sense of stasis that had once been there having returned with a brutal vengeance, and he was less than able to contend with it, try as he might.

He took another tentative step forward, and everything went black again much the same as it had once before that day. He felt a rush of movement as a sudden warmth enveloped him that he couldn’t quite explain, voices encompassing him from every angle regardless of the fact that he couldn’t place their precise owner or locations. For a moment, he felt as though he were floating.

And then he came crashing down.

With violent efficiency, the world around him suddenly became crystal clear again. He could hear, see, touch, and feel everything around him again in the manager that he was meant to, but that served more to disorient him than it did to bring him clarity. His breath grew heavy as he realized that his pulse was more than slightly elevated; the sound of his heartbeat a dull throb in his ears and chest. He’d felt this sensation before, the overwhelming panic of it all rendering his mind and body utterly useless as he was seized by mindless terror. The only difference was that this time it lasted longer before it wore off.

The moment he finally regained the ability to more, he glanced around the room in a blurry rush, not entirely sure what it was that he was trying to locate. But just as he lost his footing, something ceased him, steadying him as he teetered over the edge of something. Until that moment, he hadn’t even noticed that he’d been standing. As his eyes came into focus, he realized that Vergil was there, steadying him with an expression somewhere firmly between irritated confusion and what seemed to be genuine concern, but he could have easily been mistaken. Had he always been there, or was this a new edition to his delirium? Considering the way that everything was spinning around him, there was no telling. And while there was no way of knowing just yet, he had the feeling that he’d find out shortly. One thing at a time.

“Oh, well that should do it. At least for now.” An unfamiliar voice spoke slowly and clearly to someone behind him, drawing his attention as he attempted to stop shuddering and stead himself. V felt a powerful desire to sit down, even if it was on the floor.” It is best that we keep this away from him. Such an unpleasant effect that it seems to have on him. I have never seen anything like this.”

V turned to face the woman he heard speaking, only to discover that he wasn’t hallucinating and it was indeed an unfamiliar face. Or if he was hallucinating, this particular aspect of his surroundings wasn’t part of the equation. Before him stood an elderly woman of diminutive stature, at least when compared to him. They were almost at head height despite the fact that he now sat on the floor. Vergil stood only a few feet behind him, seeming watching his every move with silent trepidation. His agitation was only matched by his abject dismay towards the entire situation, though it hid it very well under a thick layer of what would appear to be apathy to the average person. That alone was enough to rattle V’s already very fragile nerves.

“Yea, it didn’t do that when I carried it around either. Maybe the cult that took it did something to it?” Dante gestured towards the box that sat on the mantle across the room, the small box now chained shut and locked with a small lock. The devil hunter then spared V a glance before turning his attention back towards her. He seemed sympathetic towards whatever had happened to him, at least from what the young summoner could tell.” If we knew it was gonna do that, we wouldn’t have asked him to carry it. Hell, it would be in a led lined box or somethin’.”

“Of that, I have no doubt.” She looked over at V, giving him a friendly and reassuringly warm smile.” Still… such an odd reaction for an Arcana.”

Dante looked between the older woman and the rest of the room, leaning back on the couch in an effort to make himself more comfortable.” Well, it’s over with now, at least. As long as we don’t take it out of the box around him again, we should be fine, right?” She nodded slowly, seemingly unsure but willing to go with the assumption for the time being. Dante looked at his brother and younger nephew before turning to gesture towards her, clearly indicating that he would be referring to her as he spoke.” Oh yea, almost forgot. Granny’s got a name. Matier, meet my V and Nero. The one with the constipated look on his face is my brother, Vergil.”

Nero waived in a friendly manner as he scooted off of the couch and onto the floor next to V. It wasn’t every day that he got to meet someone who knew Dante, especially this far from home. V simply nodded, suddenly in need of a restful night’s sleep. He didn’t feel physically tired in the way that he was accustomed to. No, instead he felt utterly drained. It was as though something had siphoned the very essence from his body. Vergil gave her a neutral look but nodded quietly, regarding her silently. His mind was elsewhere, but he was not so lost in his thoughts that he couldn’t acknowledge her. After all, they were in her home. Spending a lifetime in the underworld hadn’t rendered him  _ that _ uncivilized.

“It is wonderful to meet you all. Always nice to have guests. It’s just my daughter and I most days.” She smiled softly, taking a moment to look at the box again.” It could be a form of corrupted sorcery, but I have no way of knowing for sure, Son of Sparda. You should all keep a close eye on him for now. These powers are beyond my understanding, at least for now.”

The Youngest Son of Sparda nodded in agreement.” Speaking of that daughter of yours, I might go see what’s keeping her soon. Being late isn’t really her style.”

Nero turned his attention back to V giving him a more serious look than the eldest of the two was used to receiving from his normally lackadaisical sibling. It wasn’t like Nero to seem so worried, at least from his experience. That being said, they seemed to have a soft spot for one another in that regard. V found himself thinking of Nero’s well-being more than the rest of the people around him, and it was for no particular reason that he could truly pinpoint. He cared if the rest of their family was harmed. That was a no-contest stance… but when things got bleak, he just found himself instinctualy turning to his younger sibling. They had been through an awful lot together, and their shared experiences had brought them closer together. Simply having him there at that moment helped put him at ease, even if only a little.

“So what’s going on? And don’t tell me it’s nothing, because I can smell bullshit a mile away and you know it.” Nero said quietly, not trying to cause a scene. It was hard enough to get V to open up as it was. The last thing he needed to do was cause his reclusive older sibling to clam up.

Much to his ire, the rest of the room fell silent and everyone present turned their attention towards V, clearly curious as to what he was planning to say. The white-haired summoner gave Nero a tired look and exhaled under his breath, internally cursing himself and his brother and unison. He knew that he’d eventually have to talk about this, but that didn’t exactly make him eager to do so. Had no idea what time it was, but this had been a long day for him, and he got the feeling it was about to get a whole lot longer.

“I… recalled something that I had tried… very hard to forget. In vivid detail.” He turned away for a moment, resisting the temptation to simply stop talking and find a way to escape. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to talk about something personal, but this was easily one of the most unpleasant.” I have no reason to believe it is relevant but I think it may be time to tell you something about my past.”

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back, everyone! It’s so wonderful to see you all here again! Sorry again for the delay. I just needed that extra two weeks to take care of some things and breath a little. Were in 2021 now, and the word count has officially surpassed 200K! I can’t put into words how much your support and kindness has meant to me over the last eight months. I hope this year turns out to be everything you want it to be. Stay safe and let’s get through this together! 
> 
> I’d love to hear your thoughts on the new fic and the series up until this point. It’s been a blast hearing from you!


	2. Chapter 2: Hindsight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: I’ve had an overwhelming majority of you request this kind of chapter up until now, so I hope you like it at least half as much as I enjoyed writing it. I think it’s finally time. Buckle in, because this is gonna be a long one.

Chapter Two: Hindsight

-~-

The room fell silent. It was as though all the air had been sucked from the space between each of them, the small living area suddenly converting itself into an airlock of sorts. Any vestiges or illusions of a pleasant and welcoming environment falling away like so much set dressing leaving nothing but the most piercing silence imaginable. Keen ears such as theirs could only pick up the faint sounds of breathing as they looked out across the room at the young white-haired summoner, questions without answers brewing at the forefront of their collective consciousness. It was only an extraordinary circumstance that led to a situation where V was willing to elaborate on something so deeply personal, and there was no question that this qualified as such an event. But there were still a few things that they didn’t understand on principle alone, and they needed to understand them before they could continue.

“Wait wait wait wait wait…” The devil hunter in red held up his hands for a moment, stopping V before he could go any further.” What made you remember this in the first place? What’s going on with you? Because the last time I checked, you didn’t just volunteer to tell us your life’s story, V. Somethings up with you.”

A ragged sighed escaped the younger man’s lips as he considered his uncle’s words before nodding in agreement. Yes, perhaps a bit of context was needed in this situation.

“Your quite right, Dante. The only issue is that I don’t know what that “something” is.” He paused for a moment, meandering through his thoughts. He wasn’t entirely sure how to explain what he’d experienced leading up to this conversation in a way that made sense.” Everything is an incomprehensible blur of fragmented memories. I remember boarding the train, and then from there, there is very little that I can grasp. I have a vague recollection of being on the train and suddenly feeling overwhelming… I can’t quite put it into words. I’d compare it to coming up for air when you didn’t realize you were drowning, only to realize that you were under longer than you could remember. Reality was subjective, almost as though something else was going through my memories and I was resisting it, if only barely. It felt as though I was dreaming but wide awake all at once. It’s very strange. I apologize, but I can’t explain it any better than that.”

Both Dante and Vergil nodded, seemingly considering his statement. The eldest of the two seemed to be considering something else, while Dante was simply trying to comprehend whether or not he was actually capable of comprehending this sort of thing since it was so abstract. Strangely enough, he had gone through something like this once before, but he wasn’t sure that this was the time to bring that up. Much like V, it was a memory that he had buried deep and wasn’t sure that he wanted to relive in vivid detail. But then again, if V was going to…

“Hey V… are you alright?” Nero asked almost hesitantly. He was genuinely unsure of how to react to such a statement. What V had just experienced sounded truly awful to him, and he’d known that something was wrong with him the moment they boarded the train, but to find out what it had actually been was a different matter entirely.” I thought that something might be wrong with you and I clued Dante into it, but I wasn’t sure what else to do…”

V nodded, slightly distant as he tried to recall the things he’d experienced during their trip. Now even those vague memories were starting to slip away as he tried feebly to grasp them to no avail. It was like waking up from a nightmare only to feel the residual fear, but not remember anything you dreamed about.” Yes, I vaguely remember that. Thank you, Nero. I may very well still be in such a state if the two of you had not acted as you did.”

Nero nodded in agreement, turning his attention to Matier.” Why would that knife even be able to do something like that? It is cursed or something? We’ve had it for a while now and nothing like that has happened before.”

Matier smiled softly, sparing a deliberate glance in the direction of the box the blade was in as Nico and Sirrus migrated further into the room. They’d been hugging the wall on the far side of the room until then, unwilling to interject into what seemed to be a family affair.” Nothing that you know of, young one. If what he describes is true, who among you would be able to tell? After all, we have very little insight as to how the Arcana functions.”

The young devil hunter opened his mount to respond, only to find himself at a loss for words. How _could_ they know indeed? It wasn’t as though any of them had been able to look at V and tell immediately. He’d been that way for several hours before his prolonged silence seemed to register to any of them. If the blade could control its own duration of effect, then there was no way of knowing if it had decided to affect them at all up until then, especially if it didn’t need to be in direct contact with however it was manipulating. Nero wasn’t sure if that was the case yet, but it brought a lot of questions.

“It’s weird, but I think I’ve had something like this happen to me before. It was years ago, though. On Malet island…” Dante groaned slightly. This was one memory he could do without sharing, but the more that V described his ordeal, the more he felt compelled to do the same.” I was just about to go to the underworld to fight Mundus when Nightmare attacked me for the second time. He was guarding the gate or something. Anyway, he swallowed me and I got sucked into his little pocket dimension where he shows you your worst fears or whatever, and it felt kinda like what you’re talking about. Only thing was that when he showed me a bunch of illusions, I knew that they weren’t real because…” 

Dante paused, trailing off as he noticed Vergil’s evident discomfort with the subject matter. It didn’t come as a surprise to the youngest of the Dark Knight Sparda’s twin sons that his older counterpart might not like hearing about that place. He could only scarcely imagine what he’d gone through during his time there. In ways large and small, it had affected them both to some degree over the years, but he was willing to bet that despite his own immense suffering, Vergil had definitely gotten the short end of that stick. Perhaps literally. Mundus was an inventive bastard.

The Darkslayer folded his arms, seemingly disturbed to some degree to hear about this entire situation. He seemed to retract somewhat into himself, if only mentally as he tried not to think about his past. It was a daily effort for him to keep his demons buried, and having to hear about Nightmare didn’t help. It was bad enough that Griffon and Shadow were still around, but he had less of a bone to pick with them. 

Nightmare, however… well, that was an entirely different matter.

“... How were you so sure that what Nightmare showed you wasn’t real, Dante?” Vergil knew that he’d regret asking the question before he even asked it, and with every syllable that escaped his lips, he came to dread the answer more than he had a millisecond prior. Still, it might prove to be useful information. Or at least that was what he was going to keep telling himself. In truth, he was simply curious to know if Nightmare had shown them both the same thing during their respective encounters, but he didn’t feel like discussing his reasons as to why. They were deeply personal.

For a moment, Dante considered finding a reason to vacate the premises entirely. The subject matter had certainly taken a turn for the worst. But they had to have this conversation at some point, didn’t they? A part of him had known that it was running the risk of follow up questions when he’d made that statement, and there was simply nothing he could really do about that outside of asking them not to ask. But that just didn’t feel right to him, especially when it came to Vergil. They’d been through so much there that it almost felt like a betrail not to elaborate on what he’d been shown, even when he knew that he should probably keep it to himself.

“Look I don’t know what that has to do with…” The Youngest Son of Sparda stopped when he realized that something in Vergil’s demeanor had changed. It wasn’t something that anyone else in the room could probably pick up on, but they _were_ twins after all. Sometimes they did thighs that only they truly understood, and from what Dante could understand, Vergil wanted him to answer his question. No, it was more than that. He needed to know the answer to this question. It was as though he was haunted by some nameless force that Dante couldn’t quite comprehend, and his answer might provide him with some form of release. Now that he knew that he had the answers that he was seeking, he needed them. 

With a sigh, he gave Vergil an almost unreadable look before continuing, never once breaking eye contact with him. It was probably the first time in several decades that they’d done so with one another.” I knew because… you were already dead, Vergil. I watched you die. You couldn’t have been that thing anymore. How were you supposed to come after me to kill me if you were already… beyond my reach?”

The room fell silent again as everyone became painfully aware of the fact that they were in the middle of a deeply painful and complicated conversation that would have more than likely been better had in private. Vergil gave Dante a look none of them had ever seen before, and one that they could only vaguely understand. To them, he almost looked confused, but to Dante, it was another matter entirely. He’d seen Vergil upset enough times to know that that wasn’t what this was. In an instant, he had been sent catapulting back in time to when they had been children. Specifically the day their mother had explained to them that she didn’t know if their father was coming back. It had come as a direct result of a habit of Vergil’s that he’d had back then, one that Dante had found irritating as a young boy, but now understood much better as an adult who could look back on the situation with a fresh pair of eyes.

Back then, anytime their beloved father Sparda had left the house, Vergil had made a habit of sitting by the door and waiting for him. He would make the pilgrimage across the house carrying a chair he kept especially for that reason. He treasured spending time with their parents, especially their father, and just seemed to know when he was coming back. As such, he had made it his goal in life to be the first to welcome him home whenever he came back from whatever he’d been doing, regardless of how mundane or miniscule his reason for leaving had been. He rarely left for long periods of time, and Vergil was always eager to hear about his travels and experiences, even when the topic actively bored Dante to death. 

After several weeks of avoiding the subject, their mother had come to speak with them. Dante had been begging Vergil to play with him, but he’d refused, noting that he was sure that the instant that he left his post, their father would arrive, and he would miss his chance to surprise him. He’d always acted so surprised to see Vergil back then, even though Dante now realized that he’d known where they all were at all times, and was only doing so for his brother’s betterment. 

When their mother had gently explained the situation to them both after overhearing their little disagreement, trying her best to soften the blow, something had changed in Vergil. There had been no anger in his face that day. Only abject horror and pain at the realization that things were never going to be quite the same at their tranquil family home again. That was when he’d first become so quiet; when he’d first began to develop the habit of burying his emotions under a deep layer of thinly disguised suffering that he now associated with his twin. Vergil had been utterly devastated, and had been far too young to even begin to find a healthy way to channel that heartbreak into something less self-destructive. He’d been suffering long before their mother had died and their family had been torn apart, and that was a reality that Dante had been powerless to do anything about for decades.

That was the same pain that he saw in his brother’s face now, but it was doubly tragic now that he understood what it meant, and that he had grown so adept at hiding it.

Dante wanted to say something, but there was no time. Not then, at least. But sometime soon, they would be alone again, and he quietly assured himself that he would make the time to ask him what he’d seen. He knew deep down that Vergil had experienced something with Nightmare that had caused this kind of reaction in him. Call it a gut reaction, but he just somehow knew that what he’d just said had either confirmed or disproved something fundamental within his twin brother, and he felt the need to follow up with him and find out what had led to this. They’d never talked about what he’d been through on that island that had led to him being in the state that he was in when they’d met up again after all those years, and he felt like it was high time that they did some. And for the first time in an immeasurably long time, he was willing to believe that Vergil might actually be willing to humor him, even if only for a moment.

“Wait. What “thing” is he talking about? I’ve never heard anything about this before.” Nero inquired quietly. He wasn’t exactly whispering, but he was speaking in a tone that was a bit more gentle and indoor appropriate than he normally did. Nero could tell that there was something going on between the two of them, and he didn’t want to negatively impact that, but he just felt a nagging inability to shake that question. This was an opportunity to find out about his father’s past, something that he realized at that moment that he knew literally nothing about aside from the fact that Nico had mentioned to him that Dante had Killed Vergil once. At the time, he’d assumed to some degree that she was taking the piss, but now that it had come out of Dante’s mouth and his father hadn’t denied it…

A lot more about them suddenly made sense to him, and all of it was painful.

V gave Nero a serious look as though he knew something that he didn’t. From what he was willing to guess, it was a warning of some sort, but he couldn’t be sure. And how could his older sibling know any of this himself? Then again, he knew precious little about what had happened in V’s life leading up to now, so it was hard to say. At that moment, Nero felt more out of the loop than ever, and that was saying something considering the amount of time he’d spent around his family without even knowing that he was related to them. He had to imagine this was kind of how V felt towards the rest of the group a large majority of the time. And if that was the case, he pitied him. Hell, he pitied them all right now. It seemed that there was a lot of tragedy in their past that he knew very little about, and he was at odds with the part of himself that wanted to keep it that way and the part of himself that wanted desperately to have the answers to the questions he’d had for so long. It was miserable.

The Eldest Son of Sparda glanced over at both Nero and V, giving them a look that V seemed to understand the implications of more than his younger sibling before sighing heavily and turning his attention back to Dante. He seemed surprised and pained all at once, and Nero got the impression that he was going to find out why soon enough. 

“So you’re telling me that you’ve never explained this to him?” Vergil asked, a hint of something unfamiliar to them in his voice. It seemed that they’d touched on something profound within him, and he hadn’t been expecting to have this conversation with them today.

With a soft huff, Dante nodded in agreement.” I just… For the most part, I tried to avoid that part of my life. It didn’t work very well, but that’s what I did. I think I thought that if I just pretended it never happened, I’d make my peace with what happened between us eventually. Part of me still does.” Dante looked down at the floor, seeking something, _anything_ to distract him from the painful topic of conversation that he found himself in at that moment. Explaining his coping mechanisms to the very person that had been the source of his agony in the first place wasn’t something he’d ever banked on doing, but here he was.” As for Nero… he didn’t even know who you were until after you came back. Never told him who I was, either. Didn’t know how to bring that up, ya know? Guess I was afraid he’d hate me for it and I’d never see him again. I’d kinda ran out of relatives at that point. That’s probably why he bitch slapped me across the room back in Redgrave. Nero doesn’t appreciate lies. Just an educated guess.”

Nero stared at both of them blankly, unsure as to how he was supposed to process that. V looked at him quietly, seemingly wanting to say something, anything, to make the entire situation less uncomfortable, but not entirely sure where to start. He had no history with this situation and was nowhere near as close to Dante as Nero was. This had to be difficult for them all.

He closed his eyes for a moment before turning away from Dante and back to the both of them, a groaning sigh escaping his lips as he resigned himself to his fate. He felt like he was explaining to Nero that V was his brother all over again, except this might actually be worse. 

“I was not gone your entire lives out of purposeful negligence. I spent most of that time in servitude to the Prince of Darkness who was responsible for the death of our mother after sealing myself in the underworld after a battle with Dante. The decision to serve him was not one that I had any part in, of course.” He took a breath before continuing, half relieved to finally be getting this off of his chest and equally uncomfortable with actually speaking of it. As far as things went that he wanted to keep buried, this was at the very top of the list. But it was time.” After destroying Yamato in a bid to keep the demon king Mundus from obtaining it, he decided to spare me. It was a decision made mostly to spite me and deny me the privilege of dying honorably as was preferable in that situation, but it also served his best interests. But when I refused to serve him, he used his power to corrupt me into an instrument of his own design that he could use as an extension of his will.” 

A slightly ill look crossed Vergil’s face as he came to grips with what he would have to confess next.” I was transformed into a being he referred to as Nelo Angelo, his black angel. And I was to do his bidding and have no choice in the matter. And it continued that way for countless years despite my constant resistance and his ever creative methods of forcing me to do so… until _Trish_ lured Dante to the island and I was ordered to kill him.

The barest form of a smirk ghosted Vergil’s face as he spared Dante a momentary glance.” At that point, I was at an impasse. Mundus was the only one who could release me from his servitude, and I refused to give him the pleasure of begging for it, and killing Dante on his behalf was entirely out of the question. Dante ended that impasse by ending me and then Mundus shortly after. That was fortunate considering the fact that he had just resurrected me for the sole purpose of his own endless desire to watch me suffer. But with no master to be bound to, I was free to venture elsewhere. And I did so… until after I encountered Belial and, defeated, decided to return and usurp the demon thrown. It’s been an eventful few decades, to say the least.”

V closed his eyes and looked down at the ground, unable to face him at the moment. The situation was far too heavy for his liking, and this was a matter that was best explained to Nero instead of himself. He had some degree of prior knowledge as to how this had occurred, and he knew that he and Vergil would have to speak on that some time in the near future. After all, there was a part of him that simply _knew_ his father knew this already.

Nero exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, feeling an unfamiliar pain travel through his entire body as he tried to comprehend the unfathomable horror that had just been painted for him. Yes, he now understood a great deal more about both his father and his uncle, but what he understood also helped him understand why Dante had made a point of never elaborating on the matter to him. He’d always wondered what the devil hunter in red had never liked it when he asked him about his family, and now he understood perfectly.

“... Your mother was murdered?” He could barely make himself speak those words.

Dante nodded.” Yea. We were eight at the time. Demons attacked the house and it almost burned to the ground. They were looking for us, being Sparda’s sons made us targets, too. Wasn’t more than two years after our dad disappeared. We still don’t really know what happened to him. No one’s said a thing about him since. It’s like he just… ceased to exist or something. You’d think you’d at least hear about a demon bragging that they killed him or something, but nope. Nothing.”

It was Vergil’s turn to interject.” I searched for any trace of him for years. That’s how I encountered both of your mothers. But I was never able to find anything that would lead me to his location. I simply don’t know what happened to him… and that does not sit well with me.”

There was a part of Nero’s heart that hurt for both of them. To have their mother burn to death in a house fire so soon after their father’s disappearance and then for Vergil to spend years looking for him only to end up enslaved by what had to be his worst enemy… that kind of horror wasn’t something Nero was sure he could even begin to grasp fully. At the very least, he now understood his father and uncle’s dysfunctional relationship a little bit better.

“At least you two had each other right?” Nero watched their faces for some indication that he might be right, a gnawing emptiness brewing in the pit of his stomach as the revelation that that wasn’t going to happen hit him like a freight train.” Shit… what happened between you two?”

Before either of them could answer, Nico suddenly bolted out the front door, looking exceptionally upset. They all watched her, somewhat surprised and confused as to what could have been said to upset her in such a way. Sirrus waived his hand almost dismissively as he started towards the door, signaling for them to continue. “Don’t get up. Please. I’ll go make sure she’s alright. You lads continue. You clearly need to.”

With that, he rushed out of the door in a manner that was admittedly strange to behold. He took long strides but seemed to clear the distance between the door and where he stood unusually quick. Nero swore that something strange had just happened, but he had no way of knowing for sure. And to be honest, the strange things that the red-headed man did were the least of his concerns at that moment in time.

Dante sighed and shrugged, seemingly tired all of a sudden. “We had a falling out after our house was attacked, is what happened. I thought _he_ was dead, and he thought _I_ was dead, and we’re both idiots who can’t talk about anything important unless we’re throwing blows in the process because it just… hurts too much.” 

Much to Nero’s surprise, Vergil nodded in agreement after pausing for a moment to contemplate Dante’s words.” I had fundamental misconceptions about what happened that day since I was elsewhere on the property, and it never occurred to me to ask Dante what had happened. I wrongly assumed that I’d been left to die by them both… It was foolish of me.” He looked down towards the ground, fiddling uncomfortably with his worn gloves. Anything to make the conversion end.” It’s a topic I tend to give wide berth. And one that has dominated both of our lives for entirely too long. I can only hope it’s over now, at least for the most part. There’s no way forward with it. At least not from what I can see.” 

A soft laugh came from Dante as he shook his head and leaned forward, resting his face on his palms and he allowed his elbows to embed themselves into his knees.” I take back what I said before, brother. **_That_** is the smartest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

The quiet sound of Matier’s footsteps could be heard as she approached them. She took her staff and wacked both Dante and Vergil upside the head, shaking her head as she gave them a sympathetic but displeased look.” I can see the toll this has taken on you both, Sons of Sparda. I knew your father long before you were born. It would pain him so to see you both fight. He told me as much himself.” She shook her head, sitting down in the seat across from them as Dante gave Vergil a warning look. The Eldest Son of Sparda had obviously been considering retaliating for a moment, his surprised rage getting the better of him.” He said that should you ever come to exist, he’d only want you to be happy. For you to not carry his burdens. That was the world he wanted for you. What he strived towards for you and for everyone else. Be better to each other. He’d like that.”

As both of them looked at her quietly, the truth in her words gripped them. That _did_ sound like something their father would say. He was wise in that way. And they were sure their mother would agree with them. They’d made it this long and this far. They were both still here. They had to make that worth something. And while they weren’t quite ready to say as much to one another, they were sorry.

V watched the entire ordeal quietly before glancing over at Nero. The younger of the two was shaking his head, the weight of the entire situation weighing on him heavily. Their family truly was a mess. So many things that hadn’t made the slightest bit of sense to him now seemed as clear as day, and although he was glad he knew the truth and that they were talking for once, there was a part of him that would have been perfectly happy never knowing the bottomless suffering that was the lives of their father and uncle.” Is it too much to hope that your story won’t be as bleak as theirs just was, V?”

In an act that took everyone by surprise, V rested his hand against Nero’s shoulder before slowly leaning forward and pulling him into a loose hug. Nero went so rigid that it put tungsten to shame and Dante and Vergil looked at them both like they’d grown a second head.” I’m sorry to disappoint you, Nero, but that is indeed too much to hope for. It’s best you lower your expectations now, lest you give yourself false hope.”

Nero sighed and reciprocated the hug, allowing his head to rest on his older brother’s shoulder. Yes, of course, it was. How foolish of him to assume otherwise.” Yea, I shoulda figured as much. How stupid of me. So tell me, V… what’s your damage?”

V gave him a final gentle but reassuring squeeze before releasing him. Today had been an incredibly hard day, and he never would have guessed that such a benign admission of internal guilt could have unleashed the floodgates of so much sorrow and misery. But here they all were, holding their lives hostage with enough collective pain to send a certified physiatrist straight to the bottom of a stiff bottle of alcohol.” I’m sorry to say that it’s quite a long story. And I don’t’ believe it’s one any of you are going to enjoy.”

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve been looking forward to this damn chapter for like a YEAR. It was time that they finally talk to one another about this. It’s the only way they are ever going to start working things out. There was simply too much pain wrapped up in their pasts to just move on and forget it. And now it’s V’s turn to share the pain.
> 
> But first… Nico.
> 
> See you all on Friday. Well, if we haven’t all died of second-hand sadness by then! Thanks for the support so far! Your all awesome!


	3. Chapter 3: Contrite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Well, the last chapter was pretty heavy, wasn’t it? I’m still laughing to hide my sadness. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter. It was very interesting to write, and this is another topic that you’ve wanted me to touch on for some time now in this AU. Enjoy!

Chapter Three: Contrite

-~-

Just outside the house, the faint sound of conversation could still be heard from the other side of the wall as he exited the cozy dwelling and stepped out onto the front porch. Not the sort who had been raised without manners, the redhead made an effort to carefully close the front door before stepping off of the front porch and into the yard, the small stone walkway that led to the front gate clicking underfoot as he strode forward and towards the exit. He knew not what had caused such a reaction in her, but he intended to find out.

Sirrus was walking a thin line and he knew it. Nothing about the matter at hand was something that he should involve himself with. But considering the subject matter, and the sheer level of tension present in that room, there were two things that he was sure of: that this was a conversation that had needed to happen for some time now, and that Nico was not a blood relative to one of the white-haired descendants of Sparda. He’d been on the fence about that one for quite a while now, but now he was certain of it. And that was part of his reason for what he intended to do at that moment. He wanted to understand what had moved the young woman in such a way when she was not a part of what was being discussed, at least, not from what he could tell.

He located his quarry not far from Matier’s cozy little dwelling. Nico sat on a fence across the road from the front gate, her back towards him. Sirrus slowed his gate, not wanting to startle her as he watched her run her arm across her face and sniff, shuttering slightly. There was no need to upset her further. She was clearly already beside herself as a result of powerful emotions that he couldn’t quite comprehend with so little information. But if she was willing to allow him, then he was willing to help.

“You vacated the premises in such a tizzy. Is something troubling you, A chara?” He said softly as he neared her, his desire to make himself know but, at the same time, not to startle her when she was clearly distracted conflicting with one another.

Nico inhaled sharply, startled. She turned to face Sirrus, seemingly surprised that he had come so near to her without her noticing. Facing him or not, the man had startlingly quiet footsteps for one so very tall. She wiped her eyes again, shivering as she regained her composure. Nothing like crying in front of someone you barely knew to make you feel even worse than you had before. “A cha-what?”

He smiled sympathetically. Yes, he’d let that slip, hadn’t he? How unlike him. “Ah yes, that. My sincerest apologies if I’ve confused you. It’s Gaelic. It means “friend.” I meant to say something else that equated to much the same, but honestly, I just got my languages mixed up. I simply meant to enquire as to your condition. You seemed upset.”

The mechanic nodded, letting out a sigh. This entire situation was so uncomfortable. “Yea, sorry about that… it’s kinda complicated. And really fucked up.” She shook her head shrugging as she searched her pockets for her lighter and her cigarettes. Once she found them, she lit one and inhaled deeply, clearing her throat before she spoke again.” You speak more than two languages? That’s fancy. But yea, it would take forever to explain. Long story, ya know? You don’t wanna hear about all that.”

With a disagreeing shake of his head, the redhead glanced both ways to make sure they were along before continuing. Privacy was a luxury on a residential street, and if he expected her to open up to him about this, then he was going to have assure that much on her behalf. 

“I’m a polyglot. I speak six languages, not counting Queen’s English. Sadly no one really speaks my native language anymore.” He shook his head, fixing his hair as he sat down on the fence next to her, and attempted to make himself comfortable despite his legs being too long for his sitting position. “But that’s enough about me. I have plenty of time, and I suspect they will be busy for at least a few more minutes. Care to indulge my curiosity? Not a word of what you say will escape my lips. Everyone needs a confidante.”

She seemed hesitant for a moment before succeeding defeat and taking another puff of her cigarette. “Well, I warned ya. It’s about what Vergil said about being that Nelo Angelo fella. The Black Angel.” Her face scrunched in discomfort as she said those words, clearly displeased. “That’s already really fucked up and all, but ya know what makes it even worse? My dear old deadbeat daddy did a lot of research into him. And then he replicated it! Those wackjobs in Fortuna looked at that mess and said “yea, let’s do that!”

He waited a moment, listening to see if she would say anything else. Getting things off of her chest might help, and he was willing to listen. She took another heavy draw from the cigarette, exhaling heavily. When he realized she wasn’t going to continue, he leaned forward slightly, giving her a sincere look. She was holding something back, and he could tell. “But that’s not all. There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”

Nico paused for a moment before attempting to continue smoking. A harsh breeze kicked up, knocking the cigarette out of her hand and onto the ground. She cursed under her breath and jumped up to stomped it out, unwilling to let it roll into the nearby bushes and possibly start a fire. After doing so, she reached for another, only to place it into her mouth and fumble with the lighter to discover that was too windy outside to use. And even if it wasn’t, it seemed to be jammed or otherwise unfunctional.

“Shit. Why now?” She looked up and huffed, irritated. “I was gonna use that, you know. Damn wind… and yea, there is more to it than that. That’s the worst part, at least for me.”

With a creaking groan from the worn wood, she clambered back onto the fence, settling back in next to Sirrus as she looked out across the street towards the house. Things were quieter now, or maybe that was just her imagination. She couldn’t really be sure, but she didn’t care all that much either way. When she turned back towards the red-haired man in the black and purple coat, he had his hand extended towards her. Her eyes traveled between his palm and her hands, leaving her confused until she realized he was quietly requesting the pack of cigarettes she held. “Oh, did you want one? Didn’t know you were into that.”

He nodded and then shook his head, taking the pack from her hands. Sirrus then withdrew a cigarette and studied it for a moment, a difficult to read look on his face. “I don’t smoke them. Perhaps that wind was a little hint from the powers that be that it might be time to quit while your ahead. Best not to squander your talents young.” He paused when she gave him a funny look. She didn’t look upset, but the raised eyebrow told him that he might be overstepping a bit. Best to leave it be. “I’ve heard from your compatriots that your quite skilled when it comes to making weapons. Your habits might end that for you prematurely. But that’s not my business. It’s your life. I can light this for you… if you’d like.”

Nico mumbled something under her breath in agreement before grabbing the end of the cigarette out of his extended hand with her mouth as he handed her the pack back, an amused look on his face. She was more than a little surprised when he extended his hand to pinch the end of the thin cylinder, the logical part of her mind wondering where he was keeping his matches of his lighter or whatever else he might use to accomplish his task.

“Hold still for me,” he said quietly, leaning in slightly as if he were trying to get a better view of what he was trying to do. Before she could say anything, the end of the cigarette ignited. A small puff of smoke and light-colored flame could be seen before it died down and he released it, sitting back again and looking forward. She inhaled and then sighed, removing it from her mouth as she allowed the smoke to escape her mouth. 

“Yea, your probably right. I shouldn’t have started in the first place. But ya know, peer pressure and all that. It’s whatever. I’ll stop one day. I hope.” She took another quick draw before putting it out on what was left of the old, abandoned fence, suddenly not in the mood to actually smoke it. Two was more than enough. No need to get carried away. “So… how’d ya do that? Or am I not supposed to ask? You some kinda demon or somethin’ like that? Cause I don’t really care. Most everybody I know is at this point.”

Sirrus seemed to consider her question for a moment as he looked out across the house, a glittering hint of something she couldn’t quite grasp in his cool grey eyes. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he raised his fingers and snapped them, an unnatural ringing sound echoing across the space between them as he did so. Nico stared at him as she realized that his thumb and index finger had caught fire, and that the fire was unlike anything she’d ever seen before. It flickered between a deep black and a gleaming white somewhat randomly, his relaxed demeanor indicating to her that this somehow didn’t harm him in any way. A moment later, he dragged his fingers back across one another in the opposite direction, extinguishing the once vibrant flames. “... it’s something like that. Your not too far off. But I can’t really say. Or, at least, I’m not supposed to. Safety measures and all that. You probably shouldn’t have seen me do that much, if I’m being honest. But what’s done is done. Tell me what’s eating you up inside?”

The plucky mechanist repressed the urge to press him further. She was sure they could pick this up again under happier circumstances at a later date. But at the very least, her curiosity had been piqued. She’d never seen anyone do anything quite like that, and she wondered if any of Nero’s relatives could do anything similar. Maybe she could ask him once things calmed down again.

“Well… what’s bothern’ me so much is that I took my daddy’s messed up work and I used a little bit of it to help me better understand how to help Nero out with somethin’. It’s those Devil breakers you saw me workin’ on before we left. And then I find out where that research really came from…” She shook her head again, deeply bothered. “I just feel like… I dono how to really say it. Ya think Vergil’d be pissed off if he found out? Cause I feel like I’d be, ya know? It just feels  _ wrong _ to me now that I really know. But I did it to help his son out, so maybe that makes it better? Who knows. I just kinda feel like a hypocrite for giving my daddy so much shit and then almost doing the same thing myself.”

Sirrus shook his head, signaling to her that they didn’t quite share the same sentiments. “I don’t think that constitutes a hypocritical standpoint in the slightest. I’ve mingled with my fair share of hypocrites and narcissists during my lifetime, and your nothing like them. At most, it was an honest misstep. At worst, it’s still better than anything your worthless father probably did on his best days.” The fiery redhead gave her a more playful look, attempting to keep the subject matter as lighthearted as he possibly could. He understood her more than she realized.” He willfully inflicted horrors upon others. You took that legacy of defilement and evil and converted it into the very antithesis of his work. And you did it better than he ever could. I think that’s the best punishment anyone like him could ever hope to receive. And for it to be his own daughter? His own flesh and blood? Absolutely delicious. I revel in it. I can’t say that I know Vergil, so I can’t say how he’d feel about it. But personally, I think you’re being too hard on yourself.”

Nico seemed to consider his words for a moment. He made a good point. Agnus would probably roll over in his grave if he knew what she’d used his life’s work to create. It was a total and utter insult to his entire body of work, and that was something she could take pride in. But there was still always going to be a part of her that felt as though she’d done something perverse to her best friend’s father, and she wasn’t sure how she was going to reconcile that. Nico wished she could go back to a time when she hadn’t known that. It seemed so long ago, and yet it had only been a few minutes. But then again, that was all it took to deliver the kind of knowledge that had to potential to change someone’s life forever. Despite everything he’d done, she kinda felt bad for Vergil. And Dante, for that matter. He’d been through a lot. His entire personality kinda made more sense to her now. 

What a tragedy.

“That’s a good point, I guess. I guess I could- wait, what the hell is that?” Nico paused in the middle of her sentence and pointed further up the street. Strange creatures that she’d never seen before had just crossed the intersection about a block away, and they seemed to be after someone. Her mind immediately answered her question for her, but Sirrus decided to chime in as he hopped down off of the fence and looked where she’d pointed, a serious and nonplussed look on his face. He was clearly unhappy with the current events as his light jog turned into a sprint, the reality of what was happening only occurring to him at that moment.

“Those are demons, Nico. And that means that I have work to do.”

-~-

V stood up and transitioned to the couch, his balance still slightly shaky from his ordeal. If he was going to relay this particular story, then the very least that he could do was attempt to make himself comfortable. After all, this was going to take a while, and he didn’t intend to spend any more time than he needed to in a state of discomfort.

“So if you don’t like talking about this, then why do it?” Dante asked bluntly. He was somewhat confused as to V’s motivations, although still curious to hear what his oldest nephew had to say. It was the first time that he’d offered to regale them with tales of a time before they’d met, and he didn’t intend to talk him out of his decision if he didn’t need to.

The young summoner leaned forward and perched his elbows on his thighs, propping his neck up with his palms as he looked down at the floor for a moment. He breathed slowly, gathering himself. “Because this is something I should have done a long time ago. After all, the fool who persists in his folly will become wise. And I need to get this over and done with. It’s better this way, regardless of my desire to do so. That’s now irrelevant.”

Nero leaned back against the couch next to V, seemingly understanding what he meant as he nodded in agreement. “I get that. And if that knife was messing with your head and this demon prince guy had his stupid cult come after you, then it makes you wonder why your thinking about whatever this is now, right? You said it’s been a while. That can’t be a coincidence, can it?”

V nodded in agreement, sharing an almost bewildered look with his younger sibling. “Yes, precisely. It might sound unusual, or even impossible, but it felt almost as though someone was searching through my mind in an attempt to find a weapon to use against me, and I only discovered it partway through. I feel almost compelled to get this out of my system. I’ve been poisoned by it for far too long.”

The Eldest Son of Sparda seemed to consider his son’s statement, now more uncomfortable than he had been previously. And considering the conversation that they’d just had and the blunt force trauma that Matier had delivered to his cranium, that was truly saying something. “That is entirely possible. That is how Belial gained the upper hand in our first battle. Anything that he has influence over shares his power. The only difference is that for him to use that power against you, a physical connection is required. His reach isn’t that concrete, thankfully.” He stopped for a moment, sparing a glance at the box that contained the knife.” I imagine that the blade would have a similar effect on me if he willed it to do so. But I am not eager to find out. And you’ve come in direct contact with his corrupted conduit, so his path to you might be more fleshed out. It’s not an ideal situation.”

Dante shrugged. “I gotta say, it sure looks like we’re a few dozen steps behind, doesn’t it? And with an opponent this powerful… this isn’t good. I don’t like our chances right now. He’s definitely got the upper hand.”

Nero nodded in agreement, his arm flopping down onto his lap. “Yea, that’s probably true, Dante. But if V thinks we should know something, then it might be a good idea to sit down and shut up and listen to him, right? So let’s do that.”

Vergil folded his arms in a huff, not pleased by Nero’s blunt and to the point statement. He was however willing to succeed defeat to his son in this situation, however. Nero’s point was valid, regardless of his choice of vocabulary. “Very well. Proceed.”

The young summoner stretched slightly, adjusting his posture before clasping his hands together and leaning back. “Very well, then. Settle in. This may take a while.”

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It’s nice to start out the book by tackling some of the bigger questions, especially when that means that I know for sure what I’ll be writing about for the next few chapters. Really helps my writer’s block. And I’m ahead of schedule, too? Well, that’s a welcome change of pace! Anyway, thanks for your help! I’ll see you all next week on Wednesday! And bring tissues! You might need them. It’s backstory time!
> 
> Rest in peace Brad Venable. You voiced my favorite crazy birb. This chapter is for you.


	4. Chapter 4: Winter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This will be interesting. It’s not every day that I get to just write like this. Time to spread my wings a little and just dig into this.

Chapter Four: Winter

-~-

_**A little more than two years ago…** _

Blistering cold and exalted, tranquil solitude. 

That was what the small town of Lympha was known for at the time. 

Ever since it had been founded countless centuries prior, people had ventured there to escape the overcrowding, poor living conditions, and noise that came from larger settlements. Most had been looking for an opportunity to live somewhere where opportunities abounded and resources thrived, and those that didn’t succumb to one of the region’s trademark winter storms were likely to discover just what they’d hoped to find.

It was a pilgrimage of sorts to reach the local, even in modern times. For nearly half of the year, the region was consumed by what weary locals had affectionately -or perhaps less affectionately- dubbed the “Bitter Night”, a state of seemingly never-ending darkness that came with winter and was unusual given the global location of the secluded town. Thick black clouds shrouded the area in what felt like an endless winter at times, contributing to an unusually high percentage of residents suffering from almost yearlong bouts of seasonal effective disorder. It was as though the small population of fewer than two thousand residents was trapped in the iron grip of a nameless and unrelenting foe with which they hopelessly battled against. There were members of the town that had spent their whole lives there, but the majority left after less than a decade, unable or unwilling to cope with the constant cold darkness.

The silence was also a factor to take into consideration. While the peaceful silence that came with an early morning’s snowfall was something that many had come to treasure in areas of the world that we’re not constantly buried under snow, that could not be said for the residents of Lympha. Most of them were accustomed to leaving their homes for nonessential reasons due to the constant snow, leaving the area almost hauntingly quiet, a fitting backdrop for the heavily wooded fishing hamlet that set nestled between two large black snow-capped mountains, mirrored by the sizeable lake that spanned the distance between them. 

The natural beauty and splendor of the region could not be denied, but that did not change the fact that there was something eery about it that was difficult to put into words properly. Most of the locals avoided the surrounding forests with an almost religious dedication, warning anyone new to the town to do the same. And the longer that they stayed, the quicker they came to the same collective consensus. Most homes were a certain distance from the trees with only farmland bordering the thick, black woodlands. But talk of something wicked residing amongst the trees was rampant, and cattle tended to go missing during the long nights that the town was so accustomed to.

In spite of such obstacles, the small town did prosper. Exports of resources such as fish and cold weather fruit and vegetables fueled a comfortable life for the majority of the residents, and once a year during the coldest, darkest parts of the winter after the fall tourists had long since left and only the boldest locals dared to stay behind, most of the town ventured elsewhere on holiday and basked in the warmth and brightness of less supernatural pastures, savoring in their well-earned funds and taking a break from the ceaseless mists that blanked the region due to its altitude.

Despite the frequent travel, there was only one way in or out of the town. The nearly twenty-mile stretch of winding road that connected the remote village to the rest of the country was the sort of thing that only a fool would dare traverse under the cover of darkness, but it was serviceable for the most part. It had to be to sustain any sort of livable conditions for the town. Keeping it clear of ice and plowed for vehicles to pass was an essential part of the town’s functionality, and everyone felt the anxiety that came with the reality that at least once a year they would end up trapped where they were, unable to leave for any reason.

Most sane, normal people who didn’t call the settlement home avoided the Lympha outside of the fall harvest season, having no reason to go there. And that particular winter, the majority of the town had found no compelling reason to linger, either, leaving to escape what promised to be a bitter, hostile winter. Something was just different in the air that year, and it wasn’t the lingering fog. With the population down to just two hundred intrepid -or perhaps insane- prospectors, the town was essentially shut down, just as it normally was that time of year. And then the silence settled in. Everyone hunkered down and kept warm inside of their homes, only the vague flicker of warm light from inside of their homes giving any indication that the town was not, in fact, totally abandoned, it’s residents finally coming to their senses and writing it off as a lost cause before taking their families and their personal belongings and fleeing to a less spooky local.

But in spite of it all, there had been at least one person in Lympha who was willing to greet the Bitter Night with enthusiasm, a level head, and an optimistic attitude, and that was one of the newest additions of the community. After coming to town to experience the autumn festivities, the young man with the white hair that had whipped the entire town into a tizzy had weighed his options and decided to stay. Solitude had never unnerved V. He was accustomed to it, having spent the vast majority of his life up until then as a resident inside his mind as opposed to that of the physical world in order to escape the reality of the cruel world that he found himself in. But when he’d first traveled there, the silent, almost gloomy nature of the place had ignited something within him that he’d never felt before. To say that he’d felt compelled to stay would be a vast understatement, and there was simply something about the place that put him at ease, even if that ease and that almost tangible presence that he felt so comfortable with did precisely the opposite to everyone else.

He’d managed to find housing relatively easy, all things considered. There were always vacancies out towards the edge of town. No one wanted to live out there anyway, so the prices were considerably lower for much larger dwellings. Strange and unexplained events over the years had gradually pushed everyone towards the center of town leaving farmers to contend with the woods and unlucky landowners with residences that they needed to repurpose. Most were converted into rental properties for curious tourists, but long-term leases were not out of the question on the rare occasion that someone came to town and decided to stay. That had been a lucky break for him.

V realized quickly that he enjoyed taking long walks through the countryside, taking in the smoldering chimneys and feeling the crisp mountain air ghost across his face and through his hair. It wasn’t so much that he loved the cold, it was that he hated the heat with a burning passion, and was more than willing to deal with a few months of brutal cold to avoid it if that meant that the rest of the year was more to his liking. There was something tranquil about the area that put him at ease, and that was something that he treasured at that point in his life. Most people his age were just venturing out on their own for the first time, but he’d been that way his entire life. No, he was looking for something entirely different. A change of pace of sorts while he tried and failed to figure out what he wanted to do with the rest of his life as the mounting pressure he felt from the weight of that decision slowly threatened to drive him insane. He could feel it’s tangible presence at all times, the weight never leaving him and never failing to unnerve him. It was his own darkness more physical than the dark winter that encompassed the town its self despite the fact that it was invisible, and that he knew he had another alternative that he could act upon if this did not pan out for him.

But he wasn’t sure that was what he wanted to devote his life to just yet, so here he was, walking up a lonely road towards the center of town, ready for the time being to clock into his easy-going day job and to then check out of reality for a few hours as he waited pointlessly for customers to come in despite the fact that they rarely did. Gaining employment at the local bookstore had been simple, given his love of books, and it involved minimal amounts of conversation or social interaction since foot traffic was uncommon. He worked open to close for six hours and then went home each day, taking the time in between to catch up on his reading and to contemplate the horrifying serenity that was his reality. What was he to do with himself when he returned to his home later on that evening? Play the violin for a little while? Would he actually cook something this time, or just stand in his kitchen and eat cold food out of a can in his fridge in the dark like the heathen that he was? It was too early to say. After all, he hadn’t reached his place of work yet. But was it so strange to make plans for the end of the day when the day had only just begun?

He found himself absentmindedly gripping the edges of his hood and pulling it down slightly over his face as he passed a few bystanders on the street. He didn’t need to see them to know that they were staring at him as he continued up the street. Practically everyone in every place that he’d ever lived did. In spite of the fact that all he really wanted was to blend in and be left alone by those around him, his stature and unique hair color insured that that possibility was nothing more than wishful thinking.

“ _Don’t pay them any mind. They aren’t worth it_.” He said quietly to himself as he approached the front door of the building, ready to do his quaint day job. The lights in the shop were still out from the night before, and he made a mental note to turn them on before opening the shop this time. He repressed the urge to scold himself for his inability to tune out the world around him, noting that it was not his place to do so. Why should he be made to suffer so for a simple quirk in his DNA that he could neither control nor explain?

At times, there was a part of him that wondered where his extraordinary hair color originated from. Had that been passed down as a result of his parentage, or was it the result of a medical condition he didn’t know he had? Unfortunately, he couldn’t ask either of his parents these questions. Much to his disappointment, he had never had the pleasure of meeting either of his parents, and he had no way of knowing whether or not they were even alive. It was a fact that he lamented, but it was just one of the disheartening realities that he had to come to terms with as a result of being an orphan. The place he’d been forced to call home for the cursory years of his life had no answers for him, at least none that they were willing to share with him the last time that he’d asked, and there was no way he was ever going to willingly return there. No, he’d quite literally prefer death in that scenario. By a considerable margin, if he was being honest. There was nothing but pain for him in that place. That was how it had always been and how it always would be.

He worked to put the matter aside for the time being as he prepared to open the shop. There was a small number of tasks to complete such as checking the shelves for dust and, making sure that everything was accounted for, but nothing too out of the ordinary or difficult. He took off his winter coat and draped it over the counter before tending to his meager duties, absentmindedly contemplating how the rest of the day would go, Would anyone actually come in, or would he be left alone to read again today? He’d finished the book he’d been reading the day before, so perusing the shelves for his new literary obsession was something that he had to look forward to at the very least. He could run across the street to the bakery and grab something for lunch in a few hours. The elderly couple there were welcoming, if not excessively chatty, but they were skilled and he occasionally found humor in their musings. From what he could tell, they were fairly certain that people his age didn’t read anymore, and he was always pleased to know that they were wrong about that and that he could easily prove otherwise if he ever bothered to put that much energy into their words. It was unlikely, though. He didn’t tend to actively give other people that kind of satisfaction, and wasn’t entirely sure why he cared as much as he did. Perhaps it was because they were some of the only people he really interacted with in this town. Or maybe he was just tired of being treated as though he were something inhuman monster by those around him. It was hard to say, in all honesty. Experience hadn’t helped him develop a thicker skin, it seemed.

Pity.

Before long, he’d finished what little prep work he needed to do, and turned in the direction of the front door. The light switch was by the entrance, and he needed to flip the open sign the right way around before the store could officially accept customers. As he fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater and headed for the door, something unusual caught his eye. The store sat at the center of a Y shaped intersection facing towards the central street. As such, he had a decent view of the central sprawl, at least when it wasn’t snowing like it was today. It was rare to see anyone running around, but that was exactly what had caught his attention. V turned away, not paying much mind to the unusual sight as he reached down to unlock the door. But just as he did, two more figures came running behind the first, gaining on them. He squinted slightly as he tried to make out their approximate ages, something in the pit of his stomach telling him that something about this wasn’t quite right. To his surprised disbelief, his hunch was confirmed as the two figures in black knocked the first individual down face-first into the snow and began to carry them off.

From there, several other bystanders entered his line of sight, all of them seemingly running in a panic as more hooded figures descended upon them and attacked with blunt force weapons such as bats and metal bars. When one man ran outside from one of the local shops and started yelling, the young white haired man immediately recognized him as the bakery owner and questioned why someone his age would get involved in… whatever this horrifying situation was. Clearly, he was trying to help, but what was he hoping to achieve in this scenario?

Before he could give it any further thought, the figure in black produced what appeared to be a thin sword and stabbed the man through the abdomen, knocking him down into the street in full view of the public and the man’s horrified wife, the latter of which was calling out for help in a desperate attempt to try and understand what was going on. The figure looked at her and then violently attacked the elderly man again, never once looking away from her as if to challenge her. He clearly wanted her to be silent, but V was unable to tell whether or not he was telling her as much.

V stepped away from the door, backing away slowly as the streets filled with panicked people, all of which seemed to be fleeing the strangers in black who has descended upon the town like a plague, their intentions unclear but clearly impure, to say the least. In his petrified haste to get clear of their line of sight, V slipped over a small handcart in the isle, earning a glance in his direction. He scrambled behind one of the bookcases just as the individual in black who had been stabbing the old man looked in his general direction, seemingly cheating what had to be certain death.

Horror overtook every muscle in his body as he realized that they were under attack, the impossibility of that reality finally sinking in. He had no idea what could’ve caused this tragic scenario, but that didn’t change a thing. The older man was more than likely dead, something that immediately made V kick himself internally for thinking badly of him just a short while before, but there had to be something he could do about all of this. It didn't take a Ph.D. to figure out that if he stayed where he was any longer, then he would more than likely end up dead. Someone had to get help, and he had to do something to save himself, lest he die at the hands of these mysterious strangers who had come to his quiet little town and painted the white snow-covered streets red with the blood of his neighbors.

V’s veins ran colder than the winter winds as he realized what he had to do. And if he didn’t, he was going to die. There was no time to hesitate. He had to get out of there.

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter! Getting to explore V’s background a little is going to be interesting, to say the least. I’ll see you all on Friday, but for now, thanks for reading. I hope you’re having a good week! Once again, stay safe out there!


	5. Chapter 5: Necessity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I hope you all liked the last chapter! Here, another to fill out hearts with worry and paranoia, because that’s what the 2020’s are all about, am I right?! *Cries*

Chapter Five: Necessity

-~-

In what precious little light the room provided, he could see nothing. The only sound or sensation left was that of his heart pounding in his chest like a trapped horse attempting to kick down an unwavering door. The sheer panic alone was enough to ground him permanently in place, his limbs perfectly functional but now strangely nonfunctional when he needed them most. To his knowledge, fight or flight wasn’t supposed to work that way. It was in the name, after all. You were either supposed to run or to stand and fight your opponent, but apparently, evolution hadn’t explained this novel concept to his neanderthal brain, because every time that he attempted to force himself to move, his body failed him in new and inventive ways. There was no obedience on the part of his quivering limbs, only paralyzing fear as he played the scene that he’d just witnessed over and over again in his mind.

Why was this happening to them? What could bring someone to such a remote, placid location only to senselessly murder the residents there who had more than likely never done anything to them? And why or  _ why _ did he have to be here to bear witness to it? Simply reading about something like this in the newspaper or hearing it talked about on the evening news would have been enough to make him uneasy for several weeks, but to actually experience it first hand… well, he had to survive first in order to find out how that would negatively affect him, didn’t he?

“ _ Okay… I need to get out of here. I have to move. I have to _ .” V said quietly to himself under his breath as he attempted to calm his unsteady, shaking breath. His entire body trembled the more he considered the reality of his situation. He didn’t exactly know how to fight, and even if there were a gun anywhere in the vicinity, he didn’t have the slightest idea how to handle it. The concept seemed pretty straightforward on paper, but that didn’t mean that it actually was. After all, it could jam or the safety could be on or-

“ _ Stop. Stop doing that to yourself. I can’t consider those possibilities right now _ .” V said, practically shaking himself out of his thoughts as he regained enough self-control to glance from behind the bookcase he’d been taking shelter behind and towards the locked front door. The situation was worse than ever, the hooded figure in black still roaming the streets. They seemed to be looking for something or someone in particular since they were grabbing some of the residents, but killing others on the spot. The only constant that he could identify was that they seemed to be around the same age. No interest was shown toward older residents, many being pushed down or attacked without remorse or remark. People in their mid-thirties or younger seemed to be what they were after by the looks of it, and that was more than enough to cause further unrest in the back of his mind.

As the result of what he could only describe as an entirely unreasonable amount of willpower, he managed to get his legs to move and slowly steered himself towards the back door of the shop, his intention to use it to sneak away and into the back alley. From there, he could head towards his house. If he was going to try and make it out of this town, then some basic provisions were preferable such as food or water or even just a heavier coat and gloves. It was possible to make it to the next town over within a day, but he didn’t own any kind of vehicle, and the foot or two of snow on the ground wasn’t going to be much help in that department.

Just as he reached the back door, a figure ghosted past the fogged-up window, rendering him speechless as he attempted to try and see if they were one of the attackers and if they had seen him. Much to his surprise, that wasn’t the case. It was a young girl, no more than about fourteen from what he could gather, and she was clearly looking for a place to hide. Her panicked expression tugged at something in him. He’d been there before, that look of primal terror was all too familiar to the young man with the white hair. But, if he dared to open the door, he might invite the very death that he sought to avoid. An overwhelming feeling of nausea washed over him as he shook his head, somewhat agitated with himself. How could he be so self-serving. After all, she was a child. How could he live with the decision to leave her unprotected and alone in such a deadly environment, especially when his own miserable childhood was taken into account. He knew what it was like to be in her position, and he had to do something to help, even if it spelled the end of him. It was better than escaping to live another day and realizing that he couldn’t live with himself.

Going against what he assumed to be his better judgment, he carefully unlocked the back door, opening it slowly as he stayed as low to the ground and as close to the wall as he could manage. He called out to the panicked girl as quietly as he could, finally managing to garner her attention after the fourth try. She glanced over at him, a look of utter disbelief mixed with pure unadulterated shock plastered across her otherwise pretty freckled face. He gestured towards himself, insinuating wordlessly that they would like for him to join him within the confines of the building. She shook her head fervently, utterly refusing the offer. It seemed that even during such an outrageous situation, she was unwilling to take the risk of going into an unfamiliar building with a total stranger. 

”I’m sorry, sir. I’m not supposed to go anywhere with strangers.” She planted her feet firmly in the ground, shaking her head as her curly medium length sandy brown hair whipped around her head with the wind.

There was a part of him that was utterly flabbergasted at her response, but he respected it nonetheless. At least her family had put some effort into explaining the unfortunate realities of stranger danger to her. But in this very specific and highly time-sensitive situation, he found himself cursing her stubborn refusal to just take him at his word and enter the building. At the very edges of his sensory field of detection, he suddenly noticed the sound of slowly crunching snow, the sound standing out to him somehow over the sounds of screaming and unspeakable acts of violence taking place only a few yards behind him. He didn’t know how, but somehow, he just  _ knew _ that those footsteps belonged to one of the hoodies individuals. They were going to round the corner and catch them both, spelling their doom.

With no further consideration towards the social ethics of the situation at hand, V made the split-second decision to simply do what he thought was best at that moment in time. He opened the door and grabbed the young girl, yanking her into the dark interior of the building. She was clearly scared stiff, her large hazel eyes going wider than he thought possible and her pupils dilating as she clearly opened her mouth to scream. He hushed her, putting his hand over her mouth as he pinned her against the wall, understanding the disturbing implications of what it seemed like he probably planned to do and why she was reacting the way that she was, but not having the time to explain to her why he couldn’t wait for her to agree in the polite way that he’d like to.

“Forgive me, I know what this looks like. But I swear to you, I have no such intentions. I mean to help you. Please believe me.” He looked at her sympathetically as he glanced over his shoulder, all too aware of the fact that he needed to close the door before they received any unwanted company. “Please, just let me close the door before they find us. I don’t know if I can fight them off. Just stay here, okay?”

He released her and then reached for the door, slowly pulling it to a close before scrambling around the corner and gesturing for her to follow him. She looked apprehensive, but did so without objection, seeming willing to give him a chance to prove himself truthful when her other options were taken into account. She didn’t have much in the way of positive alternate ideas when it came to trying to stay safe during this attack, and this was the only semi-safe option that she’d been presented with, so she was going to take it. After all, what other choices did she have in this kind of scenario?

As soon as the figure approached the back door, they stopped, looking down towards the ground. Resigned fear crept slowly up the base of V’s spine as he registered a factor in this situation that he’d failed to before: footprints. The snow made it nearly impossible to hide the fact that someone had come through the back door, and the door itself had no doubt left drag marks across the top of the freshly packed white powder. For a moment, V considered his options in silence as the hooded individual examined the ground. He glanced between the door and the young girl hiding in the building behind him, her face clearly showing the fact that she had come to the same realization that he had. They weren’t getting out of this building without a fight.

V spared her a final, confirming nod before bolting towards the back door and slamming through it, hoping to catch there would be attacker off guard. The gamble paid off as he slam tackled the individual to the ground, effectively knocking the wind out of them as he panicked to try and figure out what to do next. Incapacitating them seemed like a logical idea, but he didn’t exactly have a way of doing that. They reached up and grabbed him around the collar of his coat with one hand, reaching into their own coat in what seemed to be an attempt to find something he didn’t know about, and he decided rather quickly that he had no intention of hanging around to find out. He kicked the man, using his meager body weight to try and pin him in the hopes that at the very least, the young girl could make a run for it. He wasn’t sure how long it would take for this person to finish him off, but hopefully, it would be sufficient to put some distance between her and their attacker.

The moment he was granted the opportunity to glance back in her direction to instruct her to run, he was met by a singular command, one that took him entirely by surprise.

“Heads up!” She said as she charged forward, caring something that he couldn’t entirely make out due to his position and due to the circumstances surrounding his current situation. He did as he was instructed and ducked down, pulling himself closer to the snow-covered pavement as he attempted to pin the man beneath him. Much to his surprise, a large, seemingly very heavy object was suddenly hurled forward, nailing the man in black dead in the face. He let out a surprised yelp before going totally limp, the large object sailing over V’s head and just missing him. When he raised his body up to get a better look at what had just happened, he realized that the young girl had somehow managed to lift and throw the medium-sized under the counter safe that had been sitting near the office adjacent to the back door, successfully knocking their assailant clean out.

V spared himself a moment to stare at her in total disbelief as she panted wordlessly. The safe had to weigh at least eighty pounds, a considerable amount when levied against her short stature and all-around unathletic physique. It literally had to weight at least half as much as she did, easily more than that due to her size, but perhaps the fact that she hadn’t had to move it very far had been her saving grace. Still, the fact that she had lifted it and managed to throw it over his back and at their enemy astounded him. He wasn’t sure he was capable of doing that himself, and he most certainly wouldn’t have thought of it. Perhaps the chair behind the desk, but the safe?

“Sorry I took so long. I was gonna use the chair, but it wasn’t heavy enough, ya know?” She panted breathlessly as she leaned over, looking at their attacker. “You think he’s dead? Cause I don’t know how I feel about that. Either way, thanks for doing what you did. It was pretty brave.”

Of all the things that V had been called by a total stranger in his lifetime, “brave” was not one of them. He took a moment to look between her and the man lying prostrate on the ground before nodding, appreciating the compliment in silence. He wasn’t sure he considered himself brave. In fact, not too long ago he’d considered leaving her to her fate in order to save himself. But his actions in that particular situation had been very much unlike him, hadn’t they? Maybe he could take her words to heart just this once.

“Thank you. Though I should be thanking  _ you. _ It was a good idea to throw that at him. I think I would have gone for the chair, all things considered.” He spared a glance in the opposite direction, the sounds of mayhem and discord sounding loudly through the air as the townspeople clashed with the hooded individuals on the other side of the building. She shook her head and stood up, looking towards him for guidance.

“... My grandparents didn’t make it. I was in town visiting them for Christmas, so now I’m alone. What do we do now?” The sorrow in her voice was evident as she spoke those words. She was trying to be strong and push her pain aside for the time being, but he knew that she was deeply hurt over what had happened to them. And now here she was, alone in a strange town with a strange man while they were besieged by strange murders in black, looking to him to take charge of the situation and get them both out of there.

And he was going to do just that.

With a gentle tug of her sleeve, he began to run in the opposite direction as fast as he could in the relatively deep snow. She quickly took the hint and joined him, keeping pace with him as best as she could given her size in comparison to his stride. But regardless, he wasn’t going to leave her there. He didn’t know her, but he’d die before he did that. It just wouldn’t be right, and he’d never be able to look at himself in the mirror again and have any respect for himself or what he’d done. No, they were going to get through this. Together. Or at the very least, she was going to make it out. That he promised himself.

“Let’s get out of here. Head to the next town over. But first, we have to stop by my house and grab a few things. We won’t make it very far as we are.”

She nodded, hurrying along beside him. “Okay. That makes sense. But how are we going to get to the next town in the first place? Won’t they find us if we try to drive or something?”

Once again, V found himself agreeing with her while also being impressed with her decision-making skills. He hadn’t been half this savvy when he was her age, the bulk of his thoughts going towards completely different interests as he worried over every little thing that he had no sway over. It wasn’t so much that he desired control over everything around him as it was that he didn’t enjoy variables that he couldn’t account for. But at least in this situation, he’d found someone who could handle himself and seemed to possess at least a monochrome of common sense and decision making skills. That would make this entire situation at least a little bit less dangerous since they could attempt to work together to get out of it in one piece.

As they rounded the next corner and entered the countryside, they found that the roads had been plowed recently, a welcome respite from the high-stepping jog that they’d been forced to tolerate up until this point out of necessity. They gained speed, trudging along at a much more steady pace as they rushed towards the far end of the countryside, V’s home coming into view in the distance. If they could keep their pace up for just a few more minutes, they could reach the house and catch their breath before packing up and leaving. That was their only hope of making it out of this situation alive.

“I have a plan, but I don’t think that either of us is going to like it.” He said breathlessly as they forged ahead, looking in every direction paranoidly as they hoped with every fiber of their being that they didn’t spot another hooded maniac. She gave him an apprehensive look as she tried to guess what he meant before a look of realization washed over her face. She stared at him in horror as she dared to allow the words she was thinking to escape her lips.

“No… you don’t mean…”

He nodded, looking ahead as they approached the end of the road, making a right as they crossed the halfway mark, adrenaline the only thing that was holding either of them up as the freezing air stole every ounce of oxygen from their burning lungs. “I’m afraid so. It looks like we’re going to have to cut through the woods.”

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew, things were looking up, and now they’re looking down yet again! But at least V has someone along for the ride this time! I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I hope to see you in the comments! This was quite an exciting thing to get to write, and I hope that shows. Take care out there and stay safe. I care about you, ya hear me?!
> 
> See you next Wednesday!


	6. Chapter 6: Reassurance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thank you for all the lovely comments! I love talking with you all about each chapter. It never fails to put a smile on my face.

Chapter Six: Reassurance

-~-

Snow blew through the entryway door, picked up and carried there by the brutally cold winter wind that practically carried them into the home with it as they rushed through the door, slamming it behind them in a desperate attempt to cover their tracks. Neither of them knew where the mysterious group of people who had shown up to their town had come from, but considering the fact that there was only one road into the area, it wasn’t very difficult to figure out what direction they might have come from. Still, their motivations for coming there to commit such unspeakable atrocities were less than clear to V, and he was starting to wonder what their ulterior motives might be. It was rare for people to simply drive into a populated area on a whim with the end goal of decimating it, but here they were. And they seemed to be working towards some kind of end goal. After all, there was clearly a certain level of organization present within their actions, just not one that made much sense to him.

“It would probably be best to stay within sight of the road, but not within sight of people  _ from _ the road, right? That seems like a safe bet.” A small voice said as its owner rifled through different items in the kitchen, seemingly searching for something. She knew that they were running out of time, and she was trying to make the most out of a terrible situation. “Well, as safe as bets get right now, I guess. Where both kind of in the dark here.”

The target of her words stood in the living area of his small abode, looking through a few items of interest. He planned to return here, that much he knew, so there was no logical reason to pack any valuable or useless items for their trip. Sentiment didn’t help him much in this particular situation. Still, there was the irrational worry that he might lose something in this situation despite the fact that the large majority of what was here wasn’t his. Furnished apartments were common in this area, and as such, were relatively cheap, so renting one had been his first choice. As such, there were only a few things of any note here that belonged to him, and most of them were books. It seemed that his compulsion to hoard written works had gotten the best of him yet again. There was something so satisfying about watching a bookcase fill up with books that he brought home from his quiet day job, clearance items taking their rightful place on the builtins that lined the far wall of his small living space. He was aware of the fact that he probably should have utilized that space more efficiently, but he was okay with that. At least he’d been happy.

He’d been happy, hadn’t he?

Looking back on it at that moment in time, he couldn’t say what he felt. Terror was a predominant fixture in his adrenaline addled mind, and little else mattered aside from getting out of there as quickly, and as safely, as possible. Neither of them deserved to die, not that deserving something ever had very much to do with receiving it. But regardless, he was going to try to make it as difficult as possible for their attackers to track them down and kill them, or worse. And the first part of that process was to get out of town and to the next one as quickly as possible.

With a soft sigh, V turned in the direction of the kitchen where his young companion was still going through the contents of the cabinets and drawers. He watched her for a moment, quietly curious as to what she was doing, but strangely unaffected by the fact that she was doing so. This was a life or death situation, so it made perfect sense that she wouldn’t probably consider how rude she might be acting as a result. He couldn’t blame her in the slightest for that. But regardless, they needed to get going.

“Agreed. That was my intention from the start when I planned to go into the woods. Without the road or a map, we would be hopelessly lost in deep snow, and that could prove to be our undoing easily.” He walked into the kitchen, taking a moment to look out of the window. V didn’t see anyone coming, but that didn’t mean that they weren’t. After all, he hadn’t seen them coming the first time around. “What are you looking for? I  _ do _ live here. Perhaps I could help you find it.”

She stopped for a moment, facepalming as she shook her head, a worried look on her face. She raised her arms before dropping them, seemingly flustered as she groaned and looked at him, a worried yet apologetic look in her eyes. He could tell that she was sorry and overwhelmed without him even asking, and he didn’t need to ask her why. After all, he wasn’t stupid. Or, at the very least, he didn’t like to think he was.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I should’ve asked first! I don’t know where my mind was…” She looked overwhelmed for a moment, her eyes slightly watery as she tried to steady herself. “Look, I promise I’m not normally this rude. I just… I was looking for a knife or something. Anything we could use as a weapon in case they catch us again. Pretty sure we’re fresh out of safes.”

V stared at her for a moment, unsure as to whether or not he should laugh at that morbid statement. He wasn’t sure he could even if he wanted to, but there was a part of him that did find it genuinely funny. As far as he was concerned, the man deserved whatever fate had befallen him. After all, anyone who was willing to just show up in a town and kill people had nothing but bad things coming. He wouldn’t pretend to know or understand their reasons, but he was willing to bet that they didn’t have any that warranted the kind of actions they’d partaken in.

“You’re fine. I understand. And yes, I do, in fact, have something that you might be able to use.” He turned in the direction of the standing dish cabinet in the corner of the room, opening one of the three drawers that made up the bottom third of the unit. He then produced a small canister and closed the drawer before turning to face her yet again. “It would be more useful than a knife, at least. You have to get too close to use that. Here, take this.”

With that, he handed her the small spray can and readied himself to leave. She examined it for a moment, clearly unsure as to how it worked and what it actually did. As she tried to understand how this simple looking container could be used as a weapon, V walked over to the front door, taking a moment to look out the front window. The coast was still clear, but he had an aching feeling that it wouldn’t remain that way for much longer. Something in the very core of his being was urging him to leave, and he was more than willing to oblige it. Every moment that they spent inside the house was time that they could be using to get to the next town over, but also another opportunity for their attackers to hunt them down and more than likely kill them.

He picked up the over the shoulder bag that he’d packed and headed through the kitchen towards the back door after locking the front door behind them, gesturing for the young girl to follow him. She did so, but grabbed a knife from the drawer as she went, shrugging as he gave her a curious look. “Well, better safe than sorry. Can’t have too many weapons, right? I mean, what if this spray doesn’t work? What does it do, anyway? I’ve never used anything like this before.”

For a moment, he didn’t quite understand her question. Then it occurred to him that he hadn’t explained to her how to use it. He opened the back door, feeling the cool winter air dance across his face. Before them stood nothing but thick trees just across the small space that made up his back yard. He only hoped that the snow wasn’t too thick. “It’s pepper spray. You spray it in the face of someone who is trying to attack them, and it should at least slow them down since it burns their eyes and lungs. That particular can works by squeezing the top down and pointing it away from you. In my experience, it’s quite useful.”

She nodded, seemingly catching the gist of what he was saying. That  _ was _ better than having to stab someone, but she was going to keep the knife just in case her first option didn’t work out like she was hoping it would. That, and it might prove useful in other ways. After all, having a sharp object in a situation like this could prove to be a lifesaver.

Following him out into the chilly air, she shivered as he locked the door and turned towards the woods. They were really going in there, hu? She’d spent most of her life being told by her grandparents about the woods that encompassed the town, and how only the foolish dared to venture into them. It was apparently part of the reason that her parents had moved away and into the city just after she’d been born. But she still came down for the weekend every year during winter break, and she couldn’t help but notice that there was in fact, something eerie about the forest. It was a hard thing to put a finger on, but she was certain that something was just… wrong with the entire place. It was almost as if they radiated some sort of darkness that she could feel but couldn’t see, though that could have just been her overactive imagination. She’d was a pretty wild kid, after all.

Before long, V was holding a branch back for her to duck under as they entered the woods, the both of them trying to keep their composure for different reasons. There was an awful lot going on, and all of it could prove to be their undoing, but they had no other option but to forge ahead and hope for the best. It was either go back into town and surrender to the mysterious strangers who had laid waste to their quiet little town. Neither of them would willingly pick that option if it was presented to them, and they didn’t even need to ask one another that question to know the answer to it.

They walked in hurried silence for the first half-hour or so, both of them too afraid of being heard to speak out loud. Although it was unlikely that anyone could sneak up on them and not be heard due to the amount of snow on the ground, they were both too scared of dying to try their luck. Although a simple conversation about literally anything would go a long way towards making them both less anxious, neither of them was willing to actually try and start one. It was simply too risky. But after nearly an hour of uncomfortable silence, the young girl decided to quietly break the silence.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name. I’m Morgan.” Her voice was so quiet that V had to actually stop for a moment and look back at her to make sure that she was talking to him. He’d been walking ahead of her, helping both to flatten the snow so that she could walk quicker and to keep an eye out for trouble. “Thanks for not leaving me back there. Your pretty brave, ya know? Helping a total stranger out like that. At least I think so.”

V considered her words for a moment. He didn’t feel brave. In fact, there was a part of him that still felt deeply ashamed for considering leaving her behind to try and save himself. He knew that it had just been his self-preservation instincts trying to keep him alive, but he still didn’t like to think about the fact that he might be capable of something so despicable. Never in his life had he ever conjured up something so loathsome as to leave a child to die during what amounted to a small scale terrorist attack or something similar. It was simply beneath his dignity to do something like that, even if he didn’t know who the other party involved was. And now that he knew the young girl’s name, there was no way that he was going to leave her to fend for herself if he had any say in the matter. No. He’d spend the rest of his life laying awake in his bed, thinking about the simply unforgivable lengths he was willing to go to save himself. That was no type of life to live.

“My name is… I’m V.” He spoke quieter than he probably ever had before, still worried about the possibility of accidentally alerting their enemies to their location. Maybe a short conversation was what they both needed to ease the tension between them.” And you shouldn’t thank me for doing the right thing. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I just stood by and let him… hurt you.”

To his surprise, she folded her arms around herself and shook her head, a disapproving look on her face. It seemed that they didn’t see eye to eye in this particular situation, and that was something that actually surprised him quite a bit. She seemed to be very adamant as to her opinion on the matter, something that he admittedly respected. For such a young girl, Morgan was very sure of herself and her motivations for what she did and didn’t do. It was honestly commendable, as long as it didn’t interfere with his plans to get them both to something even remotely akin to safety.

“But I should. A lot of people don’t.” There was a look in her eyes that recognized. It was very similar to the one that he’d seen on her face when she’d told him what had happened to her grandparents.” My dad didn’t. That’s why it’s just me and my mom and my grandparents now. Well, it  _ was _ my grandparents… I’m gonna miss them. I can’t believe they’re really gone. How am I gonna tell my mom?”

He shrugged slightly, entirely at a loss as to what to say about the matter. He didn’t know her or her mother, and to his knowledge, he didn’t know her grandparents, either. Before today, there had been no one in town that he really interacted with. At most, there had been the occasional hello in passing as he walked up the street, or a polite thank you when he happened to bump into the mail courier on his way out the door to go to work, but that had been it. He didn’t really have anyone that he would be willing to call a friend, and he most certainly didn’t  _ know _ anyone. People here kept to themselves, and that was a large part of the reason that he had moved there in the first place.

Unsure what else he could say to try and ease her suffering, he exhaled softly, watching his breath turn into cool mist as it left his mouth. “I can’t say. Maybe I could tell her for you once this is all over. I’m sorry for your loss. I’m sure they were good people.” It occurred to him that opening up to her might make his response seem a bit less unnatural or insincere. That wasn’t something he normally did, but this wasn’t a normal situation, so exceptions were bound to be made. “I’ve never known any of my family, so I can’t imagine what your feeling right now.”

Morgan gave him an almost hurt look, one that he wasn’t sure as to the origins of. On the one hand, it could be horror at his revelation. But at the same time, it could very well be a result of his explanation not holding the weight that he hoped it would. With a soft sigh, V glanced back at her for a moment, daring to take a moment to explain further. If they were going to get through this, then they had to work together. Having hard feelings between them didn’t assist them in any way.

“... I don’t tell you these things so that you will feel pity for me. I tell you them so that you will understand why I respond the way that I do.” He wasn’t entirely sure how to say what he wanted to say, but V hoped that she understood that he truly did feel sorry for the situation that she found herself in. Was it better to never be loved, to be loved only to lose it? He hoped that he would never have the opportunity to find out. “I don’t lack empathy. I lack first-hand experience and understanding, so I have a hard time relating to what you’ve said to me. But I do care in spite of that.”

A small, sad smile spread across Morgan’s freckled face as she wiped her eyes, looking down at the ground. She hadn’t expected him to say that to her. “T-thanks, V. Your alright. But I have a question.”

Gesturing towards her to continue, V nodded. “Ok, but then it’s probably best we remain silent for a while longer. Were still somewhat close to town, and we have to cross the road soon if we have any hope of reaching the town by nightfall. It gets very cold after dark.”

She cleared her throat as quietly as she could, the cold air parching her slightly. But in spite of that, she refused to drink what little water V had brought with them, or eat any of the food that he had stored in his bag. They had agreed to take turns carrying it, and it had to last until they got where they were going. “So V, what if we get there and everyone is dead like where we just came from? What do we do then?”

V stopped dead in his tracks, truly taken back by that question. It made perfect sense, but the brain-numbing horror that he felt as he considered the idea that these crazed lunatics might have attacked more than just their quiet town was simply too horrible for his mind to process. “... I… I don’t know. But either way, I’ll try my best to keep you safe.”

Morgan nodded. “Me too. That a promise?”

Although he wasn’t sure what the small girl could do other than throw another heavy object at his opponents or mace them, he didn’t doubt the determination that he saw in her eyes. And in some small way, he felt better just looking at her. Even if there was nothing that either of them could really do to change the course of their future, both of them were more hopeful now than they probably had been since they’d met, and that was something to take comfort in.

“That’s a promise.”

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter! Things have really gone to hell, haven’t they? At least we know that V makes it out of this somehow, but that doesn’t mean that this will be easy. Mark my words, this is one hardcore backstory. No, I’m not sorry for making that joke. See you on Friday!


	7. Chapter 7: Reflection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Thanks for the comments on the last chapter! I had a blast talking with you all, as always! Thanks for sticking around! Sorry I responded as late as I did!

Chapter Seven: Reflection

-~-

Snow fell slowly from above, a saving grace and a curse all at once. While it chilled the air and impeded their progress by negatively affecting their body temperature and line of sight, it also served as a means of covering their tracks. That was something that they were grateful for, given their current circumstances, even if it  _ did _ mean that they were mildly uncomfortable. Still, marching through nearly two feet of snow was a challenge on its own, but doing so in a race against the clock didn’t help.

The only sound that could be heard was that of the snow crunching beneath their feet and their labored breathing as they struggled forward. The occasional branch dropped it’s snow or even broke under their grasp as they tried to push it out of the way in order to pass, but aside from that, there was very little indication that they had ever been there. But after the better part of five straight hours of trudging through snow, they were both less than energetic, and more than ready to take a breather. The question was, did they actually have time?

Morgan suddenly stopped, leaning over and panting, taking deep breaths as she waved V along. He stopped, giving her a curious look as she tried and seemingly failed to catch her breath. Before he could ask her what was wrong, she reached in her pocket and took out a small device before holding it up to her mouth and inhaling deeply. It didn’t take him very long to realize the issue at play here, but it did concern him. Luckily after a few minutes of silence, she straightened back up and exhaled heavily, shivering. The young girl noticed the look on his face and shrugged, unsure of why he was looking at her like that. It wasn’t so much unnerving as it was perplexing to her.

“Probably should have mentioned it, but I have a breathing problem. Don’t worry about it. I’ll be okay. Just needed to use my inhaler.” Morgan said, holding up the small red device as evidence of her point. She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to explain this fact to him, but she did. “It only ever bothers me when I’m up here. I think it might be the cold. It’s a little warmer where I’m from. But I’ll be fine. I think I caught it early.”

V nodded, somewhat relieved to know that his assumption about her condition was correct, and that she at least had a means of combating it. The nearest hospital was nearly fifty miles away from town, and heading back to town to try and find a doctor was a lost cause. Not only would she probably be beyond help by that point, but he was sure that all the doctors were probably indisposed at the moment if they were even still alive. It was an issue to be sure, but one that he was better equipped to deal with now that he knew about it.

As far as misfortunes in his life went, they seemed to be ceaseless and unending. But he was glad to be able to say that issues with his overall health were at least more than manageable. Sure, his energy reserves were what could charitably be called “lacking”, but at least he didn’t have any other underlying health problems. Well, at least, non that he knew about just yet. But he would worry about that later. For now, they needed to get going again. It seemed that they had some kind of lead in this little chase, and it was best that they preserve it. Pepper spray and politely asking their attackers to leave and never come back wasn’t exactly a foolproof insurance plan.

“Do you need to rest a little longer? I think we can spare a few minutes.” V asked quietly as he glanced around the space they currently occupied. He didn’t hear or see anything, and he wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing in a situation like this. Their very lives were at stake. He’d like to know more about what they were up against if he could.

“Oh, no I’m fine,” Morgan said softly as she tucked the inhaler back into her pocket and wiggled her shoulders, trying to shake off the bitter cold that they found themselves in. “Let’s get going. I don’t want to be out here any longer than I have to be. It’ll be getting dark in a few hours, and the woods are the last place that I want to be, curse or no curse. Might get eaten by wolves or something like that. Who knows?”

They started along again, the pair glancing behind them to affirm that they were, in fact, actually going in the correct direction. It was easy to get turned around in these kinds of conditions, and neither of them wanted to waste precious energy walking back  _ towards _ their untimely deaths. But the words that his young counterpart had spoken had caught his attention. It seemed that she knew much more about why the locals avoided the forest than he did, and he was genuinely curious to know about it. Although he wasn’t one for long conversations, or short ones for that matter, a good story was still a good story. And as long as they kept their voices down, he was willing to entertain the tale if she was willing to share it with him. It might prove to be a much-needed source of entertainment and distraction in such a chilling and uncertain time.

“You said something about a curse. What did you mean by that,” V asked quietly as they carried on. He could see the road just up ahead, which meant that they had not strayed from their path. It would soon be time to cross again.” The locals didn’t share much with me aside from saying that I should never venture into this place. Many of them didn’t really have much to say to me.”

Morgan gave him a curious look, seemingly puzzled by the statement. “They didn’t have much to say to you? Why? What were they doing? Just ignoring you or something?” She seemed to already know the answer to her question without knowing it, her response hitting the nail right on the head.

V blinked slowly, holding his now cupped hands up to his mouth in order to blow hot air into them. It was a wonder to him that his body still produced warm air at this point. It had to be below freezing outside, or at least near it. Yet another compelling reason to reach the next town over before nightfall. “Yes. That is  _ exactly  _ what they did. But I’m not upset by it. I’ve long since come to expect it from others.”

Now she seemed more confused than ever, her disapproval visible in every aspect of her facial expression. “You expect people to be rude to you for no reason? That’s awful. Why, do they always do that to you?”

The conversation had become more personal by that point than he probably would have liked, but he was still willing to answer it. He wasn’t really interested in elaborating upon it, but still. “I believe it has something to do with my hair color. Or, at least that is an aspect of it. I won’t pretend to know why my very existence seems to be so offensive to some people and, at this point, I don’t really care to.”

An almost sad look crossed her face as she hurried to catch up to him. She’d fallen ever so slightly behind, and had no intention of slowing them both down. Morgan knew that V wasn’t going to leave her behind, and she didn’t want her inability to keep up with his stride to be the reason they got left behind. “People are stupid. You dye your hair a fun color, and suddenly they just lose their-”

It’s actually naturally this color. Always has been from what I understand. Or, at least that’s what the orphanage I grew up in…” He trailed off then, instantly regretting the fact that he’d mentioned that. It was a painful topic, and he liked to keep it buried deep. Simply mentioning it then had brought up brief flashes of things that he’d wished his entire life up until then that he could forget, and he took a moment to mentally chastise himself for not simply shutting up about it. It was best that he not confront those demons. It did nothing but hurt him, and the last thing he needed in a situation like this was to suffer further. Becoming upset tended to lead to other unsavory side effects, and he had no interest or reason to want to cause himself further anxiety. Although his calm demeanor might imply that he was cool and collected, he was barely hiding the fact that he was scared out of his mind. The freezing temperature wasn’t the only reason that he was shivering and shaking.

Morgan blinked, her eyes going slightly wide. “Wow, really? I think that’s pretty cool. But then again, I’m fifteen, so I’m not allowed to know what’s cool. At least that’s what my mom says.” She shook her head still just behind him as she hurried along. “I’m sorry about you being an orphan and all that. Seems pretty rough. At least I have my mom.”

V was more than willing to agree with that statement. Being an orphan had indeed been “pretty rough”, especially when you were an orphan that even the orphanage had no interest in. The amount of disinterest, avoidance, and outright neglect that he’d been shown as a child made him question what an actual happy family must function like. And he’d never received a chance to find out, either. V could count the number of times on one hand that he’d actually been allowed to interact with a couple or individual that was looking to adopt. Something about the possibility of him chasing away adoptees due to being “abnormal.”

Yes, that wasn’t  _ at all _ psychologically damaging to a young child. And no, the entire experience  _ hadn’t _ emotionally stunted him as a result. But then again, that could simply be a heavy dose of denial. Whatever it took to get through the day. He told himself that they were simply singling him out, but there was a sad, deeply hurt part of him that couldn’t help but wonder if they were right. Somewhere out there, at least at one point, he’d had a set of biological parents, and he’d still ended up where he had at a very young age. There was always the possibility that something unfortunate had befallen them, but there was also the equally likely possible outcome that they had simply agreed with the same sentiments that the orphanage had shared and had decided to dispose of him before someone else noticed that he didn’t fit in with the rest of polite society.

He paused for a moment, realizing only then that he’d been lost in his painful thoughts and hadn’t responded to Morgan. She was watching him quietly, a concerned yet sympathetic look on his face that he knew he was responsible for. His discontent with himself grew slightly. It was not becoming of an adult to offload their damage onto a minor. He needed to do better. One would think that after a lifetime of burying his pain and insecurities deeper and deeper that he’d be better at hiding them when the need arised. “Sorry. Forgive me. And thank you, but I don’t need your sympathy.”

Morgan was more or less adept at telling when someone was hurt, and she was silently horrified by the overwhelmingly melancholy demeanor that he possessed. She hadn’t really noticed it until then, but it was there, no doubt about it. Her new companion was suffering a great deal from something she couldn’t even begin to guess at, and she wished she could help, but that would have to wait until they got out of this mess. Still, it was something she found extremely sad. He seemed like a good person from what she could tell. Good people shouldn’t have to suffer. Maybe a light dose of humor could help break the barrier that he was forming around himself?

“Eh, don’t worry about it. It’s nothing. And sorry that I can’t keep up with your long gazelle legs. I’m not that tall, ya know?” She kept a straight face as she spoke, but she couldn’t help but nearly laugh. On the inside, she was quaking from what she knew was probably a really stupid joke, but she couldn’t help herself. Humor was her only coping mechanism when she was down in the dumps, and as such, it was all she had to fall back on during situations like this.

V glanced over at her for a moment, a soft, brief smirk spreading across the right side of his face before dissipating. The comment had been so juvenile, but the lighthearted nature of it was somehow compelling to him. He was aware of the fact that he was very tall. There was no escaping it. He’d always been that way, even as a child. But he’d never heard someone put it that way, and it honestly sort of cracked him up a little. He genuinely appreciated the gesture, and was impressed by her level of emotional maturity for one so young. It had gone a long way towards reassuring him that everything might actually turn out okay in the end. “Thank you. I needed that.”

“Don’t worry about it, man. Were good. We just have to get out of here.” She brushed a fallen dusting of snow off of her coat, clearly displeased by the coating of white powder that had nearly hit her square in the face. “But we can’t be, what, more than like five miles away at this point?”

He nodded. “I’d say about six. It’s hard to triangulate without a map, but cutting directly across the center of a winding road has saved us a substantial amount of time and walking.” He sighed, relieved to find that his plan had worked for the most part. He was far from the hiking sort, and he wasn’t sure he’d ever enter another forest for the rest of his life after this. “They say that the quickest way forward is straight, and it has proven correct in this circumstance.”

Morgan cleared her throat as quietly as she could as they approached the edge of the road, the both of them looking around for any signs of company. From what she understood, this was the last stretch of their journey. If the trees were taller, she could only imagine that she’d be able to see smoke from the chimneys of the nearby city. It was much larger and more populous than the small town they’d just come from. Surely the worst hadn’t come to pass there, too. And if it had, then she was going to find the nearest car, hotwire it or something, and they were going to get the hell out of there. She’d had enough walking to last a lifetime.

He went across the road first, slowly crossing and looking around as he stayed as low to the ground as he could. There was no sight of anyone, but he still couldn’t shake the anxiety that threatened to boil over every time that he dared come out in the open. He felt exposed and helpless like a prey animal caught in the sights of an apex predator. It was a strange sensation, and he hoped to never feel it again after this little misadventure that they found themselves in.

Once he’d found his way to the other side of the road, V had gestured for Morgan to follow him as quickly and as quietly as she could. She did so, her eyes never leaving him as she practically leaped across the road and into the gulch below. They then both bolted into the woods, the tall, dark trees welcoming them like old friends. Despite the situation that they found themselves in, there was some measure of comfort and solace that they found amongst the trees. It was like a security blanket or a night light in a dark room when you thought a monster was under your bed as a child. Only this monster was real, and it was probably after them.

“... You said before that you wanted to hear about the curse, right? I totally forgot,” Morgan said after nearly a half-hour of genuinely unbearable silence. The mid-day sun was beginning to fall, and a strange sense of unease grew within her. As far as she was concerned, it was only a story. But then again, there was a measure of truth to every story, wasn’t there? “If it’s real, then we’re pretty lucky that it hasn’t come after us yet, right? I’ve heard that it’s pretty nasty stuff.”

V glanced over at her, an unreadable look on his face. “Let’s not say as much, then. We have enough bad fortune to contend with. Why chance it?”

Morgan shrugged, still somewhat detached from the reality of the situation she found herself in. It was the only way that she could keep it together for the time being. “I guess that raises a good question, doesn’t it? Are we lucky or unlucky, V? Because we made it out alive, but stuff like this shouldn’t happen in the first place, right? What a pain.”

“A conundrum for sure. Our perception of luck is subjective, and has a lot to do with our outlook on life. Someone more positive than me might say were luck, but I…” He drifted off again, catching sight of something just ahead. It looked like light smoke from a chimney, but he couldn’t be sure from this distance. They would find out soon enough, though since it was directly in their path. “I can’t say just yet. We need to get to safety first. Were not out of the woods just yet. In any manner of speaking.”

She shook her head and followed along, wrapping her arms around herself. He made a good point. Morgan could only hope she’d be this wise one day. With a playful jab in the side, she walked forward, her eyes trained on the same distant object that his had been only moments ago. “Oh my god, never tell a joke again, V. You really suck.”

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thanks for checking out this week’s chapters! I wonder what that object in the distance is going to turn out to be… Tune in next week for what will be the beginning of the end to this little snow arch. I hope it’s been an insightful and interesting look into V’s past so far. LOL DMC5 wasn’t his first nightmare, it seems. “After the Nightmare” is more like it!


	8. Chapter 8: Accursed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Oh boy, this chapter was fun to write. It also comes in at my quickest chapter so far, and it’s five-hundred words longer! Two hours! Wow! I’m getting a little bit better at this! But I hope that wasn’t at the cost of grammar… I’ll have to double-check that one.

Chapter Eight: Accursed

-~-

There was no need to look to the sky for the answers that they sought. It didn’t take very much intuition to tell that darkness would be upon them within the next two hours or so. The snowy conditions that they found themselves in didn’t help that in any. Cloudy weather always helped make things darker quicker than they normally would be, and that wasn’t something that they had planned ahead for. Still, neither of them was willing to take this little adventure of theirs to the road, light or no light. It simply wasn’t a very good idea.

“At least it’s snowing, right?” morgan asked casually as she wrapped her arms tiger around herself, trying her best to keep the cold wind out. The colder she became, the harder it was to walk, and they needed to get out of there as fast as possible. “What I mean is, the sky is always a little bit lighter when it snows. That might help us see a little better, right? Even if we’re in the woods?”

V considered her statement as he hurried forward, trying his best to ignore the wind that had gradually started to pick up as they carried on. His coat wasn’t thin by any means, but it was getting gradually colder the further the sun sank below the horizon. They were going to have to get out of the open air sooner rather than later if they didn’t want to develop hypothermia or frostbite. But either way, he was at least somewhat sure he understood what she was saying. Or he thought he was.

“You may be onto something there. It does tend to be a little bit lighter, and there isn’t really any meaningful foliage to speak of, especially on the trees.” V glanced up towards the sky, noting that the sun had started to fade, even behind the clouds. A slight glimmer of panic suddenly shot through him. Suddenly the idea of being in a cold, dark forest unnerved him. Perhaps he was just late to react and he’d felt this way all along, but he wasn’t sure that was important right now. “Things might be in our favor in that regard, but the real danger comes from the elements. It’s quite out, isn’t it? Much colder than it was a few minutes ago. I’m not sure what to make of it.”

“I know, right? It is super cold out here all of a sudden, isn’t it? I mean, it was never that warm to start with, but this is another kind of cold altogether. Almost reminds me of the curse I was talking about before.” She shivered, forcing herself to hurry forward and closer to V in a hopeless bid to steal a little bit of his residual warmth by being in closer proximity to him. “Oh yea, I didn’t go into that yet, hu? You wanna hear about it now that we’re further from the road?”

He nodded, shivering along with her as he tucked his head down and drew his arms around himself closer. “I’d be willing to believe that there is something supernatural going on in regards to this weather. It feels at least a good ten or so degrees colder than it was before, and that is a lot for the temperature to drop all at once.”

Morgan shrugged and nodded, agreeing. “I’d check my phone and tell you, but I don’t have any reception out here. All I can really do is look at the time. This whole town is a dead zone for my carrier. Grandma used to blame the forest. She blamed  _ everything _ she couldn’t explain on the forest. It was kinda annoying but funny all at once. I’m gonna miss her.” She looked mournful for a moment, her eye hazel eyes brimming with unshed tears. She wiped her face, the uncomfortable sting of cold air helping to pull her out of her momentary slump. She’d have to save her grief for when they escaped. “It’s probably rude of me to ask, and you don’t have to answer, but do you ever miss your family. I know you never met them, but do you?”

For a moment, V paused, taking several deep breaths. After a moment he wordlessly carried on, looking down towards the ground and then ahead again as though here were physically trying to put the past behind him. It was a touchy topic, and she’d been as tactful as she probably knew how to be when approaching something so sensitive, but it still hurt to contemplate. There were some things that he liked to keep private, and this was one of them. It was very much unlike him to indulge in such deep personal conversation with someone that he genuinely didn’t know very well, but there was something about her that almost compelled him to do so. Maybe it was just the part of him that didn’t like to see a sad child, and he hoped to distract her from the recent tragedy that she’d experienced first hand with his own somewhat painful experiences. He couldn’t imagine what kind of effect seeing your grandparents being murdered in front of you might have on someone. It was a wonder she’d escaped with her life.

Almost instantly, the superstitious corner of his mind considered that outcome a little harder than it needed to, putting him further on edge than he needed to be. Was it possible that she was…? No. There was no way. He’s seen enough horror movies to be able to say with certainty that he was simply falling into the depths of his own paranoia. She’s probably killed one of the men who she’d have to be working with the night before. That wasn’t at all conducive to the kind of tricks she’d have to be pulling on him in order to be in on this entire situation. If anything, they might have let her go in order to follow her, but it would be very illogical for him to believe that she was knowingly in on this plot to destroy the town. He needed to get out of that part of his mind. It didn’t help either of them.

In his momentary lapse of cognizance, he realized that he hadn’t given her any sort of answer. V mentally chastised himself for being impolite again, despite the fact that manners should have been at the bottom of his list of concerts at that given point. “... I tend to get lost in my thoughts, Morgan. Hopefully you’ll forgive my lack of conversation skills. It’s not often that I have long conversations with other people. Or conversations at all.” A sad smirk spread across his face for a moment as he considered the fact that this young teenager probably had a much more active social life than he did. But nothing about his upbringing had encouraged him to make small talk with other people. Quite the opposite. He was simply socially inept to some degree, and that was a fact that he was going to have to reconcile within himself. “I… I do think about them from time to time. And it never becomes less painful. If anything, it hurts more the older I get. It’s the not knowing, I think. Having no answers as to what happened to my parents weighs heavily upon me, but I don’t think I will ever be allowed such closure.”

Morgan gave him a hurt, sad look, taking a moment to brush her sandy brown hair out of her face. The wind refused to allow her to privilege of being able to see clearly, and her hair didn’t help that. She extended her hand with no hesitation, tapping him on his right side as if to gain his attention. V looked back at her, clearly unsure as to what her intentions were. When he noticed that she’d stopped for a moment, he halted and turned to face her, somewhat confused. “I’ve said too much, haven’t I. Forgive me.”

She shook her head, folding her arms. “You have to stop doing that to yourself. The blaming thing, I mean. It’s not your fault. People are just people sometimes. A lot of them are bad, but you deserve to be happy, too. Just don’t wait around for them to give it to you. Nothing good comes from that. Trust me, I know.” She started to walk again, hurrying past V as she tried to step through the deep snow that he normally helped flatten somewhat for her as a result of him walking ahead of her. There was a part of V that actually found it very funny how high she had to step in order to get her legs out of the snow, but he couldn’t imagine that she enjoyed having snow in her boots as a result.

After a moment to consider her words, he hurried after her, quickly supplanting her lead in order to make things easier for her. As much as he enjoyed watching her struggle pointlessly in the snow, he had to admit that it slowed them bot down significantly, and they had fought very hard to make sure that those hooded maniacs stayed as far behind them as possible. Any further delays only helped in their enemy’s favor. “Your right. Maybe a change is in order for both of us. We can start with a change of topic. I’ve love to hear that story now if you’re still willing to tell it to me.”

She shrugged, indifferent either way. “Sounds good to me. I’ve had enough sadness for one day. It’s not a super long story, but I think you’ll probably like it. It’s super spooky!”

V watched as she rested her chin on the backs of her nickels, raising one eyebrow. He wasn’t entirely sure if she was doing this just to mess with him, but he found it entertaining nonetheless. Morgan had a vibrant and interesting personality, and that was something that he appreciated in a situation like this. It helped distract him from the awful reality that he actually did have to walk through this forest and hope that the residents of the next town over were willing to help them. Or that there were any residents left at all. There was still a part of him deep down that had to wonder if there were simply working towards another worse deathtrap. He was pretty sure that neither of them could contend with that outcome in their current state. It was a terrifying reality that he was unable to face at the moment despite the obvious need to do so, and as such, he would redirect his attention to things that scared him considerably less. Once she was done with her story, he would revisit the bleak reality that they currently found themselves in, and try to come up with another contingency plan. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

Morgan nodded in agreement, clearing her throat as quietly as she could. The super-chilled air wasn’t helping her breathing in the slightest, especially with all of this physical exertion added onto it. “Ok, so if I remember correctly it goes something like this. Basically, the land that this town sits on used to belong to a coven of witches like four or five hundred years ago. I think it was more like five hundred years ago. They came here because of some sort of witch hunt or something and they were hiding out to avoid being hunted down and killed wherever they came from. They stayed here for like a decade or something with their families, and then one day a group of settlers tried to move into town and they didn’t want them to so they asked them to leave. Long story short, the locals told the church or something that they were up here, and they were forced to flee, but when they left, the sealed some kind of cursed vault or something in a cave up in the woods, and they cursed the locals. Now every winter when the black clouds roll in, things just kinda go  _ wrong _ for the town.”

V had to admit that this story was more interesting than he originally assumed it would be. “What kinds of things happen? In what manager do things go “wrong” for the town? I noticed that no one lives closer to the forest than half a mile or so. That’s how I was able to move here so cheaply. The woods weren’t an issue to me, and my landlord was eager to offload the property to someone.”

She nodded, taking his words into account. “I noticed that you lived super close to the woods. Your house is really old. One of the oldest ones around her. People moved into the inner circle decades ago when people started hearing voices in the middle of the night and just started sleepwalking into the woods. They’ve never found anyone who went into the forest alive. And then the farm animals just break the fences at night and run into the forest like something is making them do it. Well, sometimes. Other times, they find like a whole barn door torn off in the night and all the animals are missing their blood and stuff. Supposedly, someone kid went into the woods looking for their missing dog, and when they came back, their family shipped them off to some insane asylum. From what I’ve heard, they didn’t talk anymore. They just sat there and stared at the wall and didn’t move and didn’t react to anything that their family did. It creeped them out really bad. Then one day the dog came back, but they couldn’t find it. They would just hear it barking constantly, but there was never any indication that it was actually there. No paw prints, fur, nothing. It’s super creepy. They moved out after a year or so, and no one has heard from them since. And as for going into the forest…”

He noticed that she’d stopped to look around, an uneasy look on her face. He wondered for a moment if he should ask, certain aspects of her story making him uneasy. “What does the legend say about that?”

Morgan shook her head. “You sure you want to know? It’s pretty creepy, and it affects you way more than it does me.”

V gave her a funny look but nodded in agreement, now more curious than he was before in a morbid sort of way. “You have my attention, so yes. I would like to know.”

The young girl shrugged, seemingly resigned to her fate. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Supposedly the leader of the witches left behind some sort of prophecy. Apparently one day her henchmen would, and I quote, “descent from hell and search for a vessel for their lord, and their lord would rain hellfire down upon the lands, corrupting and rotting everything they touched in recompense for the crimes that they’d committed.” I hear that the original “vessel” was supposed to be that witch’s son who she had with the devil or something, and that because he was killed in the raid that ran them out of town, she said what she said. Either way, it’s spooky because that kid was like your age or so, and guys from the town like to go missing into the woods around their 20th birthday. That’s why all the guys between sixteen and twenty one leave every winter. Your like the only one who’s in town right now, and they tend to just walk off into the woods at night. It’s never really happened with the girls. Just the guys. Some of them said they were called to the place where the vault is located, and then they just disappeared during the night. Some of them even fell to their deaths after being locked in their rooms during the night to avoid this situation. They broke their windows and that was that. Others mysteriously died after being left in their rooms, and none of the doctors were able to figure out why. Those people lived a lot closer to the woods from what I remember.”

Despite his general resolve to consider folklore as just that, he was suddenly very uncomfortable. “They just… disappear? And this has been going on for hundreds of years? Have you seen it happen?”

Morgan looked very creeped out, but nodded in agreement. “My grandparents lived next to the house that the dog people lived in. I used to watch them run around the house looking for it, and I talked to their son once after the accident. He just stared at me, grabbed my arm, and pointed to the woods. Took like ten minutes for his parents to get him to let me go. Left a really bad bruise on my arm. The next day I swear I saw that dog. I’m not kidding. It was just sitting in front of my living room window, looking in at me. It didn’t move or anything, and I swear it was bigger than it had been before. And his eyes were just… black, and ash or dust or something came out of his mouth every time he exhaled like his breath was hot or something. Scariest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life. That was the only time I’ve ever been sent home early, and I didn’t get to come back the next year. Most people got rid of their dogs after that, and from what I’ve heard, cats hate it here. They never go near the windows, and they are always stressed out or scared. A law was passed like three years ago banning them from the city for “health and safety reasons”, but we all knew the  _ real _ reason.”

V found himself staring at her, actually unnerved by her statement. While it could easily just be the osmosis effect of an active imagination and living next to a house full of people that were clearly going through something mysterious and having to hear about constantly from the adults in her life, there was a part of V that believed that what she said was true. “... I believe you.”

A look of utter shock came across her face as they both subconsciously hurried forward, jogging towards the tops of chimneys now clearly visible ahead of them. They were close now, closer than they’d even been. But to what, neither of them knew. But what they did know was that there was only one way that they could ever find out, and that was to go down the embankment into the area and see for themselves. Even if everything in them was too scared to know the truth, they still needed to know. “Why do you believe me, V. My own mother doesn’t believe me. You have to have a reason, right? Tell me. Please.”

He looked away from Morgan for a moment before turning back towards her as they reached the edge of the woods, stopping to catch their breath for a moment. A sudden feeling of dread gripped V like a chest, threatening to crush every bone in his chest. “Would you believe me if I told you I’ve heard whispering coming from the woods at night recently? That I woke up leaned against the fence that surrounds my backyard and couldn’t remember for the life of me how I got there? Because I have. I’m certain that the only reason I wasn’t on the other side of it now is because it’s nearly twice my height.” He shuttered slightly, unwilling but unable to believe anything else. He was far from superstitious, but there was no denying what he’d experienced. I must confess that I’ve been seeing strange things like what you just described seeing with that dog for as long as I can remember. It stopped for a few years when I went to school, but ever since I’ve moved to this town, it’s started again. It’s infrequent, but it still happens. And the strangest part is that for a long time, I forgot that it ever happened. It comes back to me little by little, and I’m not sure what to make of it.”

Morgan stared at him, a concerned look on her face. It was as if he’d just informed her that he had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She looked down at the roofs below her and then back at him, something unreadable in her eyes. “I won’t pretend to know what’s going on in this town. I don’t know if I even believe in the curse. But I’ve seen enough spooky stuff in this place that I can’t explain to say that if you’re not lying, then we need to walk a little bit faster because that doesn’t sound good. And once we get out of here, I don’t think that either of us should ever come back.”

V nodded, assessing the quickest route forward that wasn’t straight down. They were on uneven ground, and neither of them needed to fall fifty feet to their deaths after coming this far. Mental and physical fatigue suddenly set in as he exhaled heavily, shivering both from their conversation and the elements. “I don’t think I’ve ever agreed with anyone more in my entire life. Let’s get out of here before it’s too late.”

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you liked this chapter! I loved reading your comments on the last chapter! It’s always nice to hear from the people who read my fics. Well, unless they are those lovely people that contact me at least once a month to tell me how much they hate my au, but still. Just needed to get that off of my chest because dear god, it gets so old. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! I’d love to talk to you about them. Maybe I’ll even throw a few inspirations and such for where I got the ideas for this in the notes for the next chapter. I hope you’ve all had a good week so far, and I hope to see you again on Friday. Take care!


	9. Chapter 9: Salvation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: As always, I loved your comments on this chapter! Keep being you! This chapter was one hell of a wild ride to write...
> 
> Vergil is gonna be so pissed.

Chapter Nine: Salvation 

-~-

The road forward was treacherous, much like the road behind them, but they carried onward regardless. At this point in their journey, they were tired and beyond thinking about the little things that affected them such as falling to their death into a crevice. In all truth, that was less of a small issue, but they were so tired that it didn’t really matter to them anymore. The two weary travelers were practically ready to willingly roll down the mountain if it meant reaching something akin to safety. The sooner that they were able to assess their situation, the better it would be for both of them.

As V and Morgan continued forward, the older teen with the white hair allowed his mind to wander for a moment. While still paying close attention to their surroundings, he was still somewhat distracted by the conversation that they had both just participated in. Everything about this situation worried him profoundly, and he wasn’t sure how to reconcile that kind of information. It seemed that no matter how far he ran from his childhood, the seemingly supernatural trapping of his reality would always find a way to catch up with him. There was a part of him at that moment that contemplated the possibility of that being among the reasons that he had grown up without his family in the first place. Was he cursed or something? With his track record, it seemed likely to some degree. While that wasn’t the sort of thing that he could strictly say he believed in, he could certainly say that it believed in him. It simply wasn’t possible to be this unlucky otherwise.

Morgan glanced over at him as he tested a particularly precarious section of the snow-covered rock face with his foot, unsure as to whether or not he trusted the structural integrity of what he was forced to work with. While he wasn’t entirely convinced that it could hold their weight, he was willing to try if for no other reason than the fact that there was literally no other way that they could get down this side of the mountain, and he would be damned if they backtracked. It was simply too risky of a maneuver to go back into the woods. It was practically a miracle that they’d made it as far as they had without encountering any further resistance. There was no reason to push their luck.

“I don’t know about you, but I don’t like our chances,” Morgan said hesitantly as she looked over the edge of the slippery ledge that her companion was testing out. It didn’t take a genius to see that this wasn’t the safest option in the world. “I mean, there isn’t really a better option, but still. What if this crumbles and we fall and break our legs or something? That would make things really easy for those creeps that are after us.”

V glanced over his shoulder at her, internally agreeing with her sentiments. To be perfectly honest, he’d never been very keen on heights. There were certain things that just instinctually creeped him out, and the idea of benign this high up was pretty far up that list. The only thing that made it even remotely acceptable was the fact that everything was covered in snow, so it made his depth perception less accurate. That was both a blessing and a curse considering the fact that the one thing he truly needed in that situation  _ was _ accurate depth perception. Well, that and a warm blanket. It was truly cold outside, and they both needed to get out of the elements as quickly as possible.

“You make a good point. We must not willingly go to our deaths in our haste to find salvation. It would be rather unfortunate for us to tumble over the edge due to impotence and impractical thinking.” V shifted uncomfortably, looking over to his left side at the woods. Something stirred in him as he gazed at the unfeeling wall of dead foliage, practically acting as a physical counterargument to his point. He wasn’t entirely sure what it was, but the longer they stood there, the more compelled he felt to get the hell away from their current location. “That being said, while this is far from the safest route down, it is the quickest. And since it was my idea in the first place, I’ll do the right thing and volunteer to go first.”

Swallowing heavily, he peered over the edge again, regretting it immediately. _That’s right. I_ ** _truly_** _dislike heights, don’t I?_ The self-sabotaging thought was almost enough to make him backtrack on his former statements, but he liked to think that he had more integrity than that. It would make little sense for him to bring them both this far only to dangle his young companion to the wolves at the critical moment. He was an adult, and it to say that it would be cowardly to allow a young teenager to go headfirst into danger because he was too scared to act first would be an understatement. 

And it would be even less acceptable if he took the fact into account that she had stayed behind and saved him from their attacker when she’d had a perfect opportunity to flee and leave him to his fate. They were basically strangers, after all. She’d demonstrated resolve and bravery, and now it was his time to do the same. And while he knew this and accepted his fate, he only wished that the universe had been kind enough to present him with another obstacle instead. But then again, when did he ever get exactly what he wanted? That wasn’t the nature of human existence, especially when it came to the nature of the wilderness. Mother nature hated humanity with a burning passion, and that was a fact. Maybe he could get lucky and just crack his entire skull open on the way down?

“Oh, you don’t have to-” Morgan began as she took in the gravity of what V had proposed, a tinge of horror coating her tone of voice. The idea of watching her new companion plummet to the depths below shook her deeply. He didn’t deserve such a fate. But before she could continue, he hushed her gently.

“Please don’t. Let me do this for you. Before I lose my nerve.” He gave her a gentle but serious look as he waited for her to comply. With a heavy, disgruntled sigh, he relented and lowered her arms to her side, worry evident in her face. He was a grown adult and she knew that, and if there was one thing that she’d learned in her young life, it was that adults didn’t tend to make the best decisions at times, but it was probably best to just let them learn the hard way. She knew that at the end of the day he meant well, and could only hope that this particular lesson wouldn’t cost him his life. He didn’t deserve to die, and she didn’t deserve to see yet another death that day.

With a heavy sigh and a nod of confirmation, V turned towards the edge of the rockface that could easily spell his doom. crouched down and put his hand on the ledge. Everyone had to die at some point, right? He hadn’t expected to have his nerves tested so vigorously when he’d left the house that day, but here he was, looking down an icy slope and seriously readying himself to clamber down it like he actually knew how to do that. The situation had called upon him to be brave, and he knew that that wasn’t something that he was capable of doing at that moment. But what he could do was take a deep breath and take things slowly. This wasn’t the first time he’d been called upon to descend a great height in order to procure his salvation. This was but another unfeeling stepping stone in his path. He could overcome this.

Crouching down on all fours, he tested the edge on the ledge with his grip one last time before gripping it as tightly as he could and sliding over the edge, trying his best not to mentally consider the fact that he was now dangling just over a story up in the air. Below him was a ledge at least ten feet wide. If he could get down to it safely, then he could get Morgan to safely. And at that moment in time, that was all he cared about. Perhaps that was the kind of single-minded focuses that this situation required.

He tried to ignore the dull aching that came from the cold ice making contact with his fingers as he placed his right foot on a chunk of ice, pulling his body into an uncomfortable vertical position. His gloves were the typical cheap sort that you got from a hole in the wall general store, and as such, had not been constructed with this kind of activity in mind. They barely carried out their most basic function of keeping his fingers warm in the first place. This was asking a lot of them.

As he attempted to place his left foot on something solid below him, he quickly realized that his right hand wasn’t coming loose from the ice above him. It seemed that the thin fuzzy fabric was now stuck to the ice, the combination of cheap material and heat from the palm of his hand making it impossible to pull free, at least from this position. He cursed himself internally, opting to try and recenter himself with his free hand as he tried to pull his hand out of the glove. It would have to stay in his pocket. Much to his surprise, his hand was not budging, seeming caught in the position that it was in when it had frozen in the first place. 

Somewhat miffed, he yanked the appendage harder, earning him a sharp pain in his wrist, and an unsettling cracking sound for his trouble. But, much to his dismay, he knew that the cracking sound hadn’t come from his wrist. There was a part of him that wished it had, but he knew that wasn’t the case. V was granted a momentary second of horrifying clarity before he lost his footing and slipped downward, hitting the ice blow side first with the kind of impact that he imagined a wayward car would probably do to a fire hydrant. Morgan covered her mouth with her hand and yelped in horror as he hit the ice fifteen feet below with a horrifying crack, his left side catching a stray branch that stuck out of the side of the cliff face before he teetered to his right and made his final impact with the frozen ground below.

For a moment, V laid there and wondered if that was what death felt like. Both sides of his body ached horribly in what had to be the worst dull throbbing sensation he’d ever felt. The only emotion that he felt was profound regret, his sides now burning like he’d been lit on fire. Somehow he mustered the physical energy to be able to curl up into a ball and shiver in discomfort and squeeze his eyes shut, all the while noticing that a distant sound from above him. It sounded like he was underwater, his ears ringing and muffled as his entire upper body throbbed. He sucked in as much air as he could get into his body, yet the dreaded lightheadedness that he felt indicated to him that he might still not be getting enough air. 

It was perhaps the most discomfort he’d ever felt all at once, and though there was a part of him that was sure he should probably count himself lucky, all he felt in that moment was horrible pain and immense regret for everything that had led him to that momentary outcome. Perhaps it was easier to just lay there and let the elements get the best of him? Would anyone even notice if he did that? Before he could ponder that thought any further, his ears stopped ringing, and a quiet but distant voice registered to him. It was Morgan! How quickly pain had made him forget that she was still above him! 

“Holy shit, V! Are you okay?!” A horrified voice shouted as quietly as it could from about him. Morgan was leaned over the edge of the ice shelf, her messy curly hair hanging down from above him like curtains framing a window. “ Try to breath slower and deeper. It might help. That’s what I did when I broke my arm leg in a skiing accident as a little kid. Just calm down, okay?!”

He tried to calm himself, a potent mixture of anxiety, pain, and confusion overloading his senses and overtaking any rational thoughts in his mind as he tried to take slow, deep breaths. After a moment, the pain began to relent slightly, giving him a brief window to attempt to sit up. He needed to know if he could still move, and he needed to find out as fast as possible. With a pained, shuddery groan he pushed himself up into a sitting position on the ground, his trembling arms barely holding his weight. His hand was badly scraped, his head felt like he’s been hit with a cinderblock, his eyes throbbed as they made contact with the light again, and he was certain that he was going to be covered in bruises soon enough, but he was still alive, and he was positive that with the extreme amount of adrenaline coursing through his veins, he would be able to stand.

With a low, pained groan, he stood up and steadied himself, brushing the snow off of his soon to be bruised body and collecting his shoulder bag. Part of him was sure that the garment bag had probably contributed to his fall, but he didn’t care at the moment. At least nothing inside of it could break, and nothing inside of  _ him _ was broken, either. At least as far as he could tell. He couldn’t say for certain just yet.

“T-thank you. I think I’m alright.” V took a few steadying breaths, positioning himself so that he could maintain his balance as he held his sore arms up towards Morgan. “If you jump, I’ll catch you. We might both roll the rest of the way down the hill, but it’s much less steep here. Can’t be more than twenty feet or so.”

Morgan gave him a hesitant look, her large hazel eyes containing a mixture of apprehension and concern at the prospect. She was more than certain that she didn’t want to experience what she’d just seen V go through, but he did have a point. She just hoped that it didn’t have to come to that. With a deep breath, she sat down on the ground and slid over the edge of the frozen embankment and towards V, hoping with everything in her that he actually managed to catch her as terror flooded her bloodstream with adrenaline.

To the surprise of both of them, V actually did manage to catch her. They both groaned in discomfort from the impact as he set her down, the pare of them rubbing their shoulders as they attempted to massage the sore muscles in their shoulder blades. Morgan exhaled in relief, the realization that they were not technically out of the wood and in the village settling in.  _ Now if we could just get off of this damn mountain in one piece… _

Suddenly, a loud cracking sound echoed through the air as they turned to face what looked to be a way down. Something hit the icy wall behind them, ricocheting elsewhere out of sight. The pair yelped in terror as the realization that something had just shot at them registered in their exhausted minds. Morgan grabbed V around the waist and tackled him to the ground, sending them both rolling down the hill. They kicked up large plumes of powdery snow as they went, a sight that they might have found reasonably funny if not for the circumstance. 

As soon as they rolled to a stop, they were met with the barrel of an old rifle, several villagers with guns standing over them. One held back two barking dogs on short leashes, the two slavering hounds eager to do their master’s bidding. Morgan and V sat up, immediately raising their hands as disbelief, confusion, and fear set in. What in the world was going on here?!

“Hey! Put the guns away! What the hell is your problem?!” Morgan shouted in horrified frustration. She’d had more than enough bullshit for one day. “Some crazy people are after us! Were just trying to-”

Before she could finish or V could interject, one of the men fired off a round into the air as he approached from behind the mob, eliciting a startled scream from Morgan. V placed himself partially in front of the young girl as she backpedaled, the pair completely at a loss as to what was going on and why. Perhaps a calmer approach would elicit a more positive response?

“She speaks the truth. Were being pursued. We only seek safe passage through your town. We were hoping to contact the authorities… The town we live in,  Lympha, was attacked a few hours ago.”

The man who had approached from behind nodded, cocking the gun and pointing it down at them as he approached. “Oh, we know, boy. We know. They told us you might be coming this way. Said that they’d leave us alone if we handed over any stragglers to them that they missed, especially if they were young like you lot. You’re the only ones so far. Everyone else, well…” He looked around at the rest of the group, his eyes lingering on the dogs for a moment. “Well, it looks like your going on a little trip.”

Morgan shook her head in disbelief and horror. “Your  _ working with them?! _ How could you?! Their murderers! Shoot them, not us!” The anger and pain in her voice was evident as she gave them a fierce look, V sliding further in front of her to both hold her back and to hopefully block any stray bullets if things took yet another nosedive for the worse. “Were not going anywhere with you, especially back into that forest! Your all crazy!”

Laughter irrupted from the group of men as they disregarded her words. V felt a chill colder than with winter air run down his spine as he considered the reality of the situation they were in. Had he helped walk them into a trap? Were they going to die here? They couldn’t fight nearly a dozen armed men, especially with the condition he was in. Had this entire plan only ended them back up in the same situation that they had hoped to escape in the first place?

“You see, that’s where your wrong, little lass. Our town has lived in the shadow of that mountain for as long as any of us can remember. They promised to free us from it. And all we’ve gotta do is bring you to the witch vault. Pretty sweet deal if you standing where we’re standing.”

V shook his head, sharing Morgan’s seething fury. Well, if he was going to die, then he might as well do so spitefully. “I would imagine that it is. But we wouldn’t know since we actually have a sense of morality and we’d never willingly ally ourselves with mass murderers. I’ll have to take you at your word.”

An angry look crossed the man’s face as looked down at V raising the but of his gun. “We’ll see how funny you are after you meet your new friends. We weren’t asking for you to cooperate. We don’t need you to.”

Before either V or Morgan could respond or even hope to register the reality of their situation, the butt of the gun came down on them, and everything went black. As he faded into concussive blackness, V could only hope vainly with what little faith in humanity that he still possessed that things couldn’t get worse. But one way or another, he was determined to get them out of there alive. He’d made a promise, and he intended to keep it. Even if it meant that he didn’t leave that place, he had to make sure that Morgan got to see her mother again. He’d never be able to live with the guilt if he did.

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mini arc my ass lol! This probably has about 2-3 more chapters before it’s over. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Well, enjoyed is probably the wrong word for this, isn’t it? It’s okay, V is tougher than he looks, and I’m sure Morgan, too. She’s got a lot of spunk in her. See you in the comments, and hopefully again next Friday. Something tells me that V’s hope that things can’t get much worse might be a little bit off base.
> 
> Boy, this fic is one hell of a bittersweet pain train. That angst tag wasn’t playing around!


	10. Chapter 10: Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Almost there, everyone! Hang in there just a little bit longer! The Angst is almost over. Well, the past angst, at least. Also, how have you been this week?

Chapter Ten: Promises

-~-

Nothing was visible under the shroud of darkness that blanked his eyes, the faint warmth provided by the light on his skin the only indication that sunlight might still be present. He was relatively sure that he was blinking, but he still couldn’t see anything that might be present around him. His senses were somewhat dull, the only thing he could hear or feel being a strange and unwelcome tightness in his shoulders, and the low rumble of something beneath him. V was entirely unsure as to what was going on in that moment or how he’d ended up in this situation.

And then he suddenly remembered everything.

Flashes of bits and pieces of his memories played across his mind like a slideshow of snapshots of moments past, rendering him totally still with shock. That was right! They had been waylaid by a group of irate villagers who had been working with the insane sociopaths that had attacked their quiet little village just a few hours ago! Was it even still the same day? Regardless, he vaguely remembered being knocked upside the head after two very painful tumbles down a cliff, and after that, the only thing that he could recall was waking up… wherever he was now. His throbbing head was a perfect indication of the fact that he might, in fact, have brain damage by this point. He was so painfully aware of the fact that he knew nothing about anything at that moment that it physically took his breath away.

Panic set in earnest a moment later when something significantly more distressing occurred to him. Where on earth was Morgan?! Oh no, what had they done with that poor little girl?! Practically every ounce of concern he had for himself fell away as his breath picked up and he began to quietly panic, trying his best to calm himself before he went spiraling over the edge. Guilt and horror his him like a tidal wave as he realized that he’d left her alone with that group of morally compromised lunatics, and now, as a result, he didn’t have the slightest idea as to what had become of her. 

V trembled in horror. He had never once felt such a profound feeling of regret before for something that he hadn’t intended to do. While it was true that he had no way of knowing that the people in the neighboring town would be such willingly murderous turncoats, that didn’t change anything as far as he was concerned. It wouldn’t matter as far as Morgan was concerned one way or another. His actions, involuntary as they were, could still get her killed, and that was something that he had to reckon with. But first, he needed to find out what had become of his young companion. Then he could go from there. He just hoped that it wasn’t too late

Just as he opened his mouth, a secondary figure shushed him in a hurried tone, suddenly gripping him by the shoulders and shaking him slightly as if to snap him out of something. V went totally rigid, his inability to see getting the better of him as he hoped internally that this wasn’t one of the men they’d encountered in the village. He still had no meaningful way of contending with an armed mod, and that was something that he was going to have to come up with a meaningful response to.

He felt a rough tug that lurched him forward slightly, a commanding voice demanding that someone “knock it off” with the perceived threat of retaliation if they didn’t. As soon as they released him, he heard what he thought was a commotion, and then whatever surface was beneath him lurched harshly, turning to the side as it seemingly hit something beneath him. It was only then as he heard an old engine strain that he realized that he was in some kind of vehicle. Or, more than likely, the _back_ of some kind of vehicle. He bounced slightly before making full-body impact with the hard metal surface he was lying prone on, hissing slightly in discomfort as his head and upper body throbbed from the involuntary movement. Oh, that was right. He was sore as hell wasn’t he? That fall had really done a number on him, hadn’t it?

Suddenly there was a startled shout from the man who had spoken before, and then a loud knocking thump vibrated through the vehicle as someone screamed distantly as though they were falling. At that moment, V got the distinct feeling that between that sound and the angle that he was leaned at that he might be higher up than he originally guessed. There was a part of him that was somewhat relieved that he couldn’t see whatever had just happened, but he still needed to get out of there. He strained to sit up, realizing that the pain he’d been feeling in his shoulders was due to the fact that his wrists were bound tightly behind his back. He needed to figure out what was going on and find a way to get free as soon as possible. No, sooner than that. He’d been out of time the moment he’d come to in the back of this vehicle.

“... I-is… is someone there? Hello?” He trembled slightly as he spoke, all too aware of the fact that he was taking a huge risk by speaking. He might be better off not saying anything than gaining the attention of someone undesirable. And from what he could tell, everyone they had encountered that day fell into that category. What the hell was going on, and where on earth was he headed? And why couldn’t he see anything still? Had he somehow managed to go blind into the bargain?

The same hands that had gripped him before suddenly grabbed him as they lurched further to the side, steadying him as he nearly tumbled to what he could only assume was further harm. In an instant, his muffled hearing and blindness departed him, and he was suddenly able to see again, his lungs sucking in the fresh air that he hadn’t noticed until then that he was missing. He blinked, shaking his head as he tried to adjust to the dim light. It had to be nearly sundown from what he could tell, but none of that mattered as much to him as the sight that stood before him.

It was Morgan. She was still alive.

Despite the fact that she had a busted lip and looked a little worse for wear, she seemed to be okay, and that was the only thing about the situation that he found himself in that actually brought him some measure of comfort. A quick glance around him was all that it took for him to realize that they were on some kind of backroad headed back up towards the mountain. He could still see the village they’d come from below them on the mountain, so they hadn’t gotten very far, but now he wasn’t sure exactly what to do about the situation they were in.

“Morgan… you’re safe. That’s a relief. I was worried.” V sighed in relief and looked down towards the bed of the pickup truck they were in, something occurring to him suddenly. “There was someone else in this truck with us, wasn’t there? Where did he go?”

The young teen looked at him funny, an almost humorous glint in her eyes. She pointed over her shoulder toward the ravine that they were currently driving dangerously close to the edge of. It had to be at least a good seventy feet or more before you even reached the tops of the towering pine trees below. V felt his stomach lurch slightly as he realized that the only thing between them and a fatal fall was the far too low edges of a worn-out old truck that probably had no business navigating this terrifying road in the first place. For goodness sake, the dirt trail didn’t even have a guard rail! What lunatic had conceived of a road this dangerous in the first place?

“What do you think he went, V? I kicked him off the goddamn truck!” She said as though it were exceedingly obvious, a sort of “no duh” look on her face. After all, there was only one place he could have gone when they were in such a remote location in the back of a moving vehicle. “Fuck that guy! He’s one of the guys who’s trying to kill us! Well, he was, at least. Now he’s probably dead. I don’t think anyone including us could survive a fall from this high up. Were in kind of a tight spot, aren’t we?”

V had never been so happy to hear a teenager curse in his entire life.

A look of sadness suddenly crossed her face as he considered their options. From what he could tell, something was weighing heavily on her, and that was something that he more than understood given their current situation. But he hoped that she could hold on long enough for them to make their escape, however, they were going to manage to do that. Jumping over the edge was totally out of the question, but maybe they could climb out of the back of the truck? It had to be a better option than whatever the villagers had in store for them. But before they could do that, he needed to check with her to see if it was something that she was capable of doing. After all, it was a risky gamble.

“Morgan… are you alright?” He asked quietly, glancing back at the people driving the pickup truck. It seemed that due to the noisy truck that they were driving, and the fact that their uphill trek was straining their engine, they hadn’t heard a single thing that had transpired in the last few minutes. If that was the case, then this might be their best opportunity to escape. “If your still willing to trust me, then I might have a plan. It’s risky, however.”

She huffed slightly, shaking her head as she looked up with a hint of tears in her eyes. V felt for her, but he didn’t know how or what to do to help. And at that moment in time, they had more pressing matters to attend to. This situation was hard on them both, but he could only imagine what kind of toll it took on her. She wasn’t that much younger than he was, but he had to admit that despite everything, he knew that he wouldn’t have taken the situation that she was in as well as she had. Her resolve was astonishing.

“Of course I still trust you, V! None of this is your fault. You did the best you could.” Her voice cracked sadly as whatever had been hurting her so deeply come to the forefront of her mind and overflowed, the floodgates holding back the pain that she felt cracking and springing a leak that forced her to try and get at least a little bit of what she was feeling off of her chest. “So many people have died today. I don’t even want to think about it. Look, I know this is kind of a bad time and it might be a little bit insensitive, so I’m sorry, but I just want to see my mom again, ya know? I feel like such a selfish jerk for saying that.

V gave her a sympathetic look, unable to make eye contact with her. While he didn’t truly understand what she meant, he had a good idea. He’s felt something similar for most of his life, and he could only imagine what the idea of never seeing her family again might be doing to her. After all, neither of them had woken up that morning with the expectation that they might die at the hands of a mysterious group of mass-murderous. “I’d be remiss to hold anything you just said to me against you. I _do_ know how you feel. At least I think I do. I’ve always wanted to know my birth family. I can’t imagine what the fear of losing them would do to me.” He looked up at her, a more serious look in his eyes. Her resolve had strengthened his own.”What it might make me do. Let’s get out of this truck and make a run for it. We can work on a plan after that. I promised to keep you safe, and I haven’t reneged on that deal, even if I have done a lousy deal up until now.”

She nodded, wiping her eyes. “Okay, that sounds good. I’m tired, but I’m not too tired to run for my life. I just hope the police make it in time.”

V gave her a curious look, his eyes widening slightly as he tried to take in the gravity of what she had just said. “The police? How would they know we are even here?”

Morgan cracked a small smile, wincing slightly as her busted lip stung as the muscles in her face moved. “Because I called them. Finally got some reception. I took it out to text my mom and tell her what happened, and noticed that I had just enough signal to call for help. That’s how I got this busted lip in the first place. That asshole I kicked overboard slapped me and snatched my phone from me while I was in the middle of the call, but I managed to tell them what was going on and where we were.” She took the phone out of her pocket, gesturing towards the broken screen. V wasn’t entirely sure what to make of its state, but he hoped that she was still able to make a call for help if she needed to. “I can’t imagine that they aren’t far off from here. Maybe a half-hour or so by car to the next major city? Yea, let’s go with that. At least I got my phone back.”

He nodded, exhaling in relief. Yes, that would hopefully make things better. After all, the police had guns as well. He could only hope that they would send enough reinforcements to overcome what was going on here. “Excellent work. Let’s save them some footwork and get out of her, shall we?”

She nodded, looking over the edge of the truck. “Were not moving that fast, but you’re already hurt. You sure you can make that jump?”

The young white-haired man nodded. “I’ll manage, for both our sakes. We’re far beyond the realm of optimal situations at this point.”

Morgan nodded as they scooted towards the edge of the truck. Now that his back was exposed, she took the time to untie the rags that held his wrists together, allowing him a moment of reprieve to finally relax his shoulders and allow them to fall against his sides. A quick glance down at the ground was all that it took to realize that they weren’t going that fast, more than likely due to the rough terrain that the truck was driving over. But that was a double-edged sword. It would have probably been less painful to land on smooth pavement than the mess or gravel, rocks, and dirt that laid below them, but they didn’t have much of a choice. And either way, it was better than dying.

Broken bones healed over time. Being dead didn’t.

With one last careful glance at one another, they each took a deep breath and exhaled before moving to exit the truck. V slowly clambered over the edge of the truck and dropping onto the pavement below, unable to make himself jump and attempting to do less damage to his already thoroughly banged-up body. Morgan didn’t possess such qualms, leaping over the edge and rolling to a stop on the pavement below. When they both stood, they were battered, scratched, and more than likely bruised, but they were both still alive. Mustering what little strength that still remained within them, they took off running, cutting through the edge of the woods in an attempt to throw off anyone who might be following them.

It occurred to V at that moment that they were in a strange situation. Now they had two possible pursuers, the odds thoroughly stacked against them in every way that they could be. After all, they were headed back towards the town, but what would they do once they got there? What would they do if they came up against resistance in the woods on their way? He would do his best to keep them both safe, but the odds of him actually being able to fight off an armed individual with no weapons of his own were slim at best and hopeless in a more realistic sense. But he was still going to try.

As the snow started to fall from above them, V shook his head. Of course, it would decide to snow right then, wouldn’t it? As if the chilly winter wind wasn’t already enough of an obstacle in their path. A quick glance over at morgan was all it took to confirm that she shared his sentiments, an irritated look plastered across her face. All they had to do was keep going, but everything seemed to want to keep them from doing that.

“Oh, by the way, I’m sorry that I left your bag behind when they moved us. It’s probably still there, though. They just left it sitting in the snow.” She shivered heavily as they continued forward, trying her best to see what was in front of her as the snow continued to fall. It seemed to pick up in intensity, but that could have just been the wind. It was becoming harder and harder for them to tell. “I heard one of these maniacs say that some of the townspeople staged a fight of some sort. I guess some of them didn’t like the fact that they were helping murders, you know, murder people. Who could have guessed! Anyway, maybe some of them might be willing to help us out. I don’t know.”

V nodded, clearing his throat as they rushed forward. His throat burned, and his eyes were watering slightly from the bitter cold as they came through the edge of the woods and into the street. It was an intersection that connected the road that lead to their town, the town that they were in, and the access road that they had just come down. As soon as they stepped out into the road, a van came barreling around the corner, the door swinging. Both V and Morgan froze in terror as they realized that there was nowhere to run. They’d be recaptured and taken to the waiting hands of their aggressors, only this time in a much harder to escape vehicle.

“Well, what are you waiting for?! Get in! We have to get out of here!” The woman holding the car door open shouted to them, a worried look on their face. There were two children in the car with her, hiding amongst a crowded mess of other worried-looking passengers. They seemed to be genuinely scared for their life, something that neither of them were expecting to see when the car had pulled up. “They can’t be more than a minute or two behind us! We have to leave. Were going to the police in the next city over. Hurry up! Were out of time!”

Morgan looked over at V, a questioning look on her face. She seemed to want to capitalize on the opportunity, but she clearly needed him to be okay with it before she felt safe doing so. “What do you think we should do, V? Should we trust them?”

It was hard to say what possessed him to make the decision that he did in that situation, but he glanced back over his shoulder the sound of a distant but familiar vehicle approaching in the distance. They were right, it couldn’t be more than a few minutes behind them, having come down the same path that they had just run down. It seemed that they had missed their presence. But that didn’t change the fact that they had guns, and these people in the car had young children. It stood to reason that they would chase after them and, old as the truck might be, it probably still had more horsepower than the van did. And then there was what Morgan had said to him in the woods about the strange occurrences with the young men in the town. He was willing to bet that they were probably after him.

The van needed a chance to get away unnoticed, and he could give them that. Maybe that was all he could give them. All he could truly do to keep what few people were still alive safe. He couldn’t fight their attackers, but he could lead them away, and allow everyone else the chance they needed to get away.

He could do that.

“... I think you should go, Morgan. We’re out of time.” He turned in the direction of the hill that sat at the crucks of the three-way intersection. It would be harder for a truck to go down such a steep hill than it would be for him to run down. And the police would be here any minute anyway. If they were after him, then they wouldn’t notice everyone else make their escape. 

She looked at him as though he’d just punched her in the face. “V… I can’t just. They’ll kill you if they catch you!”

A small, sad smile spread across his face. Yes. Yes, they would. But he wouldn’t let them. “I’ll catch up. Go. Please. This won’t be the last time we see each other.”

Morgan wiped barely hidden tears from her face as she back towards the car, unable to do anything but respect his request. “That another promise?”

V nodded. How did he know she would ask him that? “Yes. Yes, it is.”

She nodded, quietly pleading with him. “And you keep your promises, right V?”

He nodded again, understanding what she was really asking him. “I try to. I really do.”

With a heavy sigh, she turned towards the van, giving him one last parting glance before she climbed aboard. _“Keep this one too, V. Keep this one too. I’m begging you.”_

As soon as the door closed, they pulled off and towards the city. As the van left his line of sight, for what had to be the first time since everything had started that day, he didn’t feel the sinking fear in the pit of his stomach that he knew he should. Morgan was safe at least. He’d done something worth doing, even if it might cost him dearly. And now he had to get to safety himself. This time he wasn’t going down without a fight, but he needed to get something first. The truck would be there any moment, and he had no time to lose.

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew. Yea, so this chapter hurt, didn’t it? I’m not crying, your crying! Anyway, see you on Friday. V had dug himself into one hell of a hole. Now he’s gonna have to get out of it. Well, I dug him into the hole because I love him and so he has to suffer, but you know what I mean! I swear, I’m not normally this mean!


	11. Chapter 11: Plummet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I loved hearing your comments as always! Glad your all enjoying the fic so far! I think there will probably only be one more chapter of this arc after this. Maybe two. Then we will be returning to the one we were in before this. I need to come up with a name for it. Maybe the Island Arc? No, that’s lame. Give me your ideas lol! And check the endnotes, please. I have something special for you today :D

Chapter Eleven: Plummet

(-~-)

It felt like a lifetime since the young teenage girl had clambered on board the van, the cramped confines of the interior of the vehicle and the number of strangers she was forced into close contact with only heightening her level of dismay and disillusionment. A thousand and one things were running through her head at every second, dragging the short time that she’d spent in transit to safety into what felt like hours. Never before had she felt so helpless against an opponent who might very well take the life of someone she cared about, not even when her grandparents had fallen dead at her feet. At least she could say that she had tried to save them, bashing one of the strangers who had attacked them in the back with a wooden log that had been laying nearby.

But when V had told her that he wanted her to leave, she had frozen. And in her panic, she had honored his request. That was something that she was going to have to live with for the rest of her life, and something that she didn’t know how she would cope with. There was a certain level of expectation that people had towards the possibility that their family would at least  _ try _ and protect them, but for a stranger to risk everything time after time to help someone that they had only met that day? Unheard of. Despite her young age, there was a part of her that genuinely wanted to do something about what had occurred that day, a deep, buried part of her crying out for the justice that they both deserve.

“He didn’t even know me, and he still was willing to die to save me. And I just left him behind. What does that say about me?”

Morgan hadn’t noticed that she’d said that out loud until one of the other people in the vehicle with had shaken their head and shrugged nebulously. “Well, if you didn’t know each other, then why are you beating yourself up about it? Why do you care so much?”

The statement was enough in of its self to make her get out of the car and walk the rest of the way. A feeling of profound disgust rose up in the pit of her stomach, the entire van suddenly being far too hot for her liking. If she was willing to guess, and she was, the passenger that had spoken to her just now was far from the type who would have willingly pulled over their car to assist her. And while there was a part of her that understood their viewpoint and the concept of self-preservation at any cost, she couldn’t help but feel abject horror at the thought of being so selfish. But that didn’t mean that she wasn’t smart enough to stay quiet about it lest she risk being kicked to the curb. She didn’t know these people, and she had no idea what they were capable of.

“Ge, I don’t know, because he cares about me, ya know? Because he saved my life more than once today! Because I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him!” Morgan huffed in frustration, trying to hold back the frustrated tears that were trying to escape her eyes. She refused to sit there and cry in a van with a bunch of strangers like a little kid, no matter the context. “You don’t have to know a stranger to help a stranger. He’s proof of that. I mean, if you saw a kid about to get hit by a car, wouldn’t you try and save them?”

The stranger shrugged. “Can’t say that I would. I’m not trying to get hit by a car. I have a family, too. Maybe I’d call the ambulance afterward or something, but I’m not running out into the street for a stranger. It’s not like I don’t care, I just care less about them than I do myself. Nothing wrong with that. And besides, they probably wouldn’t even appreciate what I did for them, knowing my luck. That’s just how it is.”

Morgan sighed sadly. “I don’t need them to feel thankful to know I did something right. I just need to know that I did my best. I can live with that.”

It occurred to her at that moment that maybe she wasn’t as good at hiding what she truly thought as she had thought she was. There was a part of her that was deeply frustrated by the fact that her newfound companion had stayed behind to buy them time, and that some of the people in the car could have such a devil may care attitude about it. “Better him than me” they were probably thinking. And she couldn’t abide by that. As soon as she made it to town, she was going to find the police, and she was going to do her very best to get help for her friend. That was all she could do now, and she knew that regardless of how much she didn’t want to, she was going to have to live with that reality for the rest of her life. 

Deep down she wanted to believe that she had done the right thing, but she couldn’t be sure, and the not knowing about what had become of him was probably the worst part. After all, it would be pitch black outside in a short while. It would be cold and desolate, and he was alone against everyone who was out to get them both. How on earth would he contend with such staggering odds on his own? He didn’t come off to her as the survivalist sort.

What on earth was V going to do now?

(-~-)

Once the unfortunate reality of the situation that he’d gotten himself into truly set in, so did the panic. But thankfully, so did the instinct to turn that insurmountable fear into something that he could use against his opponents. He was moving through quick-drying cement, and he knew it. Now his best course of action was to try his very best to get out of it before he was locked into place and couldn’t escape.

In a strange mixture of initiative and calm, especially given the dire situation that he found himself in, V decided to get to work coming up with a solution. The authorities had already been contacted. Now what he needed to do was make it somewhere somewhat safe and stay out of the realm of detection of his enemies. The fact that they were armed and fully willing to kill him did make that considerably more difficult, but that was just something that he was going to have to deal with accordingly.

“Morgan said that the bag was somewhere over here,” V said quietly under his breath as he dug through the pile of snow nearest to where he and Morgan had fallen down the mountain. Despite the fact that he had literally never been in the town before that day except when he’d passed through to move to  Lympha, he understood the layout somewhat. It was a tiny place with mostly log cabins, and the hill that they had come down held a domineering position behind the place. When they had said that they had been living in the shadow of the larger town for as long as they could remember, he had to believe that they meant that literally. And he’d feel bad for them in that respect  _ if they hadn’t just tried to kill him _ .

What kind of desperation and madness drew people to commit the kinds of acts that these people had decided to commit? He hoped that he would never understand. He didn’t want to. That would mean that at least once he would have to stand in their shoes and think as they did. V liked to think that he had more dignity and self-respect than to lower himself to that kind of level. He liked to think that he would never do something like what they had done, and although he was nearly certain that he wouldn’t, he had never been put in such a situation. But at the very least, he wouldn’t have done so willingly, and he would have done so as a last resort. From what he could tell, they had been more than happy to go along with the demands of their adversaries for whatever reason.

To his satisfaction and relief, a moment later, V located the bag that he’d brought with them and sifted through it. There would be a time and a place to bring it back with him, but this wasn’t it. At this point, it would only serve to slow him down. No, he would leave it there, hidden in the snow until he returned. But he was going to bring one thing that he’d seen Morgan slip into the bag during their trip.

It seemed that the knife might be a good idea after all. 

He hoped that he would get the opportunity to tell Morgan that.

As soon as he rounded the corner and stepped into the middle of the intersection again, an all too familiar vehicle rounded the corner from the top of the hill and came barreling at him. It was the truck that they had escaped earlier. The instant they saw him, the driver floored the gas, barreling at him at top speed. From what he could tell, they were planning to hit him, apparently so angry that he had managed to escape that they were fully ready to just kill him and be over and done with the entire situation. Things had just escalated to a degree that he hadn’t expected them to.

With a level of reaction time that he didn’t know he possessed, V dived across the street into the snow and out of the reach of the truck, the old vehicle hitting the breaks a few seconds after passing him, but sliding on the ice instead. The sheer momentum caused by the speed that they were going send them sliding sideways at a dangerous speed, the truck flipping onto its side and rolling before making impact with one of the buildings nearest to the road. From what he could tell, it was a bar of some sort.

Shards of wood rained down and the truck tore a massive hole through the side of the well-worn building, eliciting shouts and curses from its passengers. One could only hope that the building was empty at that moment, but he couldn’t’ find the mental energy to care that much. He was torn between waiting to see if they were still alive and running for his life, the logical center of his brain not so subtly reminding him of the fact that the men in the truck were not the only ones hunting him down.

Just then, one of the doors to another building close to them popped open, a hooded head sticking out followed by two others. While the first two ran over to the truck and attempted to force the truck doors open on the side that was still accessable, the other taller individual looked directly at him. For a moment, they stared at one another, V’s breath coming slowly as it threatened to catch in his throat. The only sound he heard was the dull doubled up rhythm of his heart beating in his chest as he stared down a man that he knew without question or hesitation wanted to end his life. And despite the fact that he couldn’t make out the individual’s face, he could see their eyes.

And he could feel their hate.

In a strange turn of events, they both acted at the same time. It was as if they were both on a starting line and the gun that signaled the start of the race had been fired, sending them both into a flurry of activity. Without much thought as to where he would land, V instantaneously overcame his fear of heights for a moment and tossed himself down the snow-covered hill, knowing somehow deep down that he could roll down the hill much faster than he could run down it. After all, he had done so earlier that day. It would put much-needed distance between him and his pursuers, even if his sore cut and bruise covered body didn’t exactly appreciate it at that moment.

Enough adrenaline to kill a humpback whale flooded his bloodstream as he clambered to his feet at the bottom of the hill, his heart hammering in his chest as he rushed forwards towards nothing in particular, hoping that he would be fast enough to make his escape. A quick glance over his shoulder revealed that the mysterious man had yet to even reach the edge of the ridge, a strange and intriguing thing coming to mind as he considered the fact that he had covered much more distance in that short time than he ever had. V decided to simply pin it on the fact that he was most likely  _ running _ faster than he ever had in his life, but the distance still seemed impossible to him. He had cleared at least three hundred yards in the time that it took him to register that he’d managed to get up and keep going, and he wasn’t going to complain.

Maybe greater speed and perseverance were granted to those in pearl, much like those in dire straits were sometimes able to lift egregious amounts of weight in order to save those that they loved. That was the only thing that he could think of. After all, he’d been athletic, but not in that kind of way. The only thing that years of ballet had probably imparted on him that would be helpful at this moment was endurance and balance. The ability to push himself to keep going beyond exhaustion, reason, and rationality was something that he’d always had to some degree, his mind working in microcosmos. If he looked at the entire situation as a whole while he was still in it, then he would more than likely falter due to the sheer magnitude of the existential horror that he’d find himself within the grips of. And in a situation like this, there was no time for that sort of thing. No time for anything aside from clear and decisive action at all costs. That was the only way that he was going to survive this.

Bruises would heal. Cuts would heal. His burning lungs and aching bones and feet and legs would be able to rest and he would recover. But he had to make it through this first. That kind of single-minded focus was the only thing that would keep him alive in this kind of situation. Whatever gods there were only knew that it sure as  _ hell _ wouldn’t be his combat prowess. That was nonexistent, to say the least. No. He would run and run and run until he either escaped or dropped dead trying. Then their intentions for him wouldn’t matter in the slightest.

No, if they wanted him, they would have to kill him first. That was all there was to it. He utterly refused to go quietly. He would go kicking and screaming and hopefully take them with him. Because as full of pain and suffering and misery as his young life had been, he wasn’t willing to take his with the same level of silent acceptance that he had taken every other injustice that he’d been forced to deal with thus far. He’d been a child, incapable of doing anything meaningful about his situation then. There had been no recourse to try and alter his position. But he wasn’t a child anymore. He might barely be an adult, but that didn’t change anything as far as he was concerned.

V had no idea how long he had been running. Time was irrelevant to him at the point. He was beyond exhausted and cold and tired and hurt and all he wanted to do was stop. But if he stopped, then he was dead. The snow stung then he inhaled it, and his eyes burned as he tried to blink away the burning sensation that came from the bitter winter’s air. It was dark now, and he was certain that they were closing in on him. He had to be slowing down. There was no way that he had been able to upkeep that kind of relentless speed. But a quick glance over his shoulder told him that that wasn’t the case. His pursuers were barely visible behind him, meer black dots in a sea of white. And yet, somehow that only made him want to run faster. He was certain that he probably could if he wasn’t dredging through at least two feet of powdery snow.

And then he heard the crack followed by the echo, and dread hit him.

It didn’t take much to be able to tell that he had just been fired upon. He wasn’t that dense. The distinct crack of a rifle was something that he had heard many times before. The locals used them frequently to keep whatever came from the forest at bay. That and fire seemed to be the only things that warded of their fears. It seemed like a lifetime ago that he’d had to worry about little things like that. What a shame that it had come to this. Things had been so quiet once, even when they weren’t. And now he could never go back to that.

The open nature of the sprawling space that he found himself within meant that he had little in the way of cover. Running side to side was an obvious choice, but it caused extra leg work that he didn’t have time for. Maybe he could get lucky and they would just hit one of their own. But as he continued forward, the dull thud of something hitting him from behind took him off guard, tripping him up for a moment and nearly causing him to fall over. V inhaled sharply, mind discomfort numbed by the freezing air and the blinding snowy wind. He had no idea what to make of his situation, but he knew that it probably wasn’t good, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to stop to see how bad he was hurt. No, he would just tell himself that it was a simple graze and keep going. That was all he could do, and at least it didn’t hurt yet.

In a sudden and unwelcome turn of events, he happened through a small smattering of half-dead trees, the thin spindly branches serving as nothing but a barrier when he needed it least. As he passed through them, he suddenly found himself stuck, his coat having become snagged on one of the branches. As he attempted to pull free, he remembered his knife, pulling it from his coat pocket with what little mobility he could muster before attempting to use it to cut himself free. To his shock and dismay, the black-hooded man had finally caught up with him. Although the others were nearly a mile off in the distance, he knew that this wasn’t good. But at least they were on somewhat equal standing.

“You put up quite the chase, but you should have saved your strength. We need it for what is to come.” The hooded man reached out towards him, gripping the space between his neck and his shoulder. “Now stop. Were running late, and we are not the sort to be kept waiting.”

As if from nowhere, a second wave of energy hit him and he pulled away as hard as he could, crying out in fear. No, he would not go with him. Absolutely not. As if his hand were guided by a secondary source, he plunged the blade forward, catching his opponent dead center across part of their face. The blade hit against the tree behind him, snapping like a cheap lock as it embedded itself deep into the wood, nicking V’s hand in the process. The young white-haired man simply shrugged off his jacket at that point and ran, unwilling to try any longer to pull himself free. His momentum would hopefully be enough to stave off hypothermia. Anything was better than allowing this man another chance to take his life. As the man screamed and gripped his face, doubling over in the snow in pain, V gathered what remaining strength he had left and bolted forward into the unknown. 

From what he could tell, there was a ridge up ahead. He could hear the sound of rushing water, something that he hadn’t noticed before in his haste to escape. There were several things that he hadn’t noticed, like the fall leaves mixed in with the snow and the tall trees that bordered him on either side. This would be beautiful if not for the circumstances surround them. Another sort of terror gripped him as he tried to remain calm, his composure slipping. This was all too much at once. How on earth had he ended up in such a dire situation? There was no way that he could escape with rushing water in his path. A waterfall could be the end of him. Had he come this far just to drown at the very end in the freezing water? Was that all he could hope for? A better worse end?

The air held its chill in silent occupation as the light breeze kissed the powdered snow below his feet. Between his eyes, his hair stuck to his face. How uncharacteristic of him to sweat in the snow, especially with no jacket. The tall cypress trees proved to be a lively contrast to the towering evergreens that the shared space with, gently scattering leaves in every direction. They had been falling, much as he would be soon enough. It would either be here or at the hands of his pursuers.

During the time preceding this waking nightmare, everything had been silent. Simplicity and serenity had been all that he had sought out in this place in the first place, and much to his elation, he'd found it. But after a brief honeymoon period during which he'd grown quite fond of this little hamlet, everything had come crashing down around him like it always did. In the place of silence, there had been a sudden rush of sound. He hadn't been able to hear it from where he'd been, but he had seen it, and the growing guilt that he now felt as he stood at the precipice of his likely demise consumed everything inside him. He had been spared their fates only to meet his at the bottom of the rocks.

He told himself that it was thin ice. It was rushing water, after all. Somewhere beneath the surface was a small glimmer of hope that perhaps if he only dared to take the plunge he would have his liberation. He had to for the rest of them. After all, that was why he was standing there in the first place. Their sacrifice had been profound and selfless, and now he had a responsibility as the only one left to bring justice to those who had paved the path before him with their very blood.

With a last tentative breath, he glanced back fearfully, and then felt air rush past him. His descent had begun. As he approached the glowing white below him, everything went black. He hoped for the chance to open his eyes just one last time. He’d promised Morgan as much. But as his feet broke through the ice and a rush of blisteringly cold water engulfed him knocking every last ounce of air from his lungs, he was granted just enough time to wonder if he would ever get a chance to fulfill that promise before he lost consciousness.

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, at least this is a prequel! I’m sure V will be alright *cries*. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! See you all next week and in the comments where I’m happy to answer any questions you might have! Also, I’ve decided to do something fun to lighten the mood and because I love interacting with you all: A STORY IDEA SUBMISSION FORM!
> 
> I’ve gotten so many cool ideas for side stories for Saudade from you guys that I’ve started to lose count! Feel free to go to the link below and add your suggestions. If I can find a way to fit them in, then I’ll be happy to do so! Also, they don’t have to be for that story. I’m still planning to go through the comments and see if I can find most of the requests, but if you’ve made one before, I’d love it if you added it here so I can find it easier. You can also put your username if you’d like so that I know who to gift/credit it to, but that’s up to you! Please check it out. It lakes about 2 minutes and only has like 5 questions. Thanks, everyone!
> 
> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qCTCUvavsjnrOsnpWG_tahlX4FOZtDsR5p_q213FQ7o/edit?usp=sharing


	12. Chapter 12: Respiration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I’m going to go ahead and dedicate this arc to Owen Hamze, V’s likeness actor. He’s been going through a lot lately, and it parallels what happened in this fic in an eerie kind of way, as far as violence goes. Fiction aside, I hope he’s alright. Domestic violence is awful, and I’m sorry he’s been having to go through what he’s been going through.

Chapter Twelve: Respiration 

(-~-)

Breath.

The ability for the human body -and many times much less human bodies- to intake the oxygen that they desperately needed to survive. The vital yet invisible literal lifeblood of the body that most beings couldn’t survive without, at least not for long. Without a simple but complex combination of molecules and atoms, nothing living was sustainable, and it was something that most everyone went through every day of their lives without giving a thought to unless they possessed a condition that made it difficult to them to do so. And up until that day, it had been something that he had never really thought much of, aside from the various times that he’d felt his lungs burning and his oxygen-starved body swaying and aching from a lack of it.

V missed the moments when he didn’t have to think about something so precious as though it were a privilege; the times when all he had to do was inhale and he was greeted by something so basic yet so essential to his very existence. Only the dead didn’t require it, as far as sapient beings went, and they would all be dead without it if they were deprived of it for very long. Their limbs would become limp and their essence would leave them, the useless sacks of flesh, adipose tissue, and muscle they had once depended on becoming nothing more than a negative impact on the carbon footprint. A heavy weight that meant nothing without blood circulation to carry vital components to their bodies that were needed to do literally anything. And what was one of those components?

Oxygen.

How he missed it now, given the state that he was in. How had it come to this? The darkness had pulled him under, his jump amounting to nothing in the very end other than to condemned him to the murky depths. Was it enough that the nefarious individuals who had sought to take his life from him for whatever purpose they served would now be deprived of their satisfaction? He hoped so vainly for the brief second that he was able to think before the air was stolen from his lungs and the light was stolen from his eyes. Never in his short life had he experienced such staggeringly cold water, not even in the moments that he had been forced into the river as a child. How distant that those days behind the menacing walls and buildings that he had once called home felt now. He imagined that the proprietors would feel a great sense of accomplishment and relief if they could see him now. How sure they would be if they could see him falter and fail that they had succeeded in crippling him so that his supposed evil nature could never be acted upon. They had thought that he was cursed then, and at this rate, he was almost ready to believe it now. But no. He would rather die than give them the satisfaction, even if they were right or they had no way of knowing. That was the only victory that he could see himself achieving over them in life. 

Living virtuously and prosperously was simply out of the question.

As he faded into blackness, he remembered seeing the night sky. How purple it had been, so beautiful and full of stars. If this was how it had to be, then he was thankful that it was the last sight he’d been granted the privilege of seeing. It was a small source of comfort to know that he could at least be at peace in this environment, none of the pain, sorrow, or. He wasn’t ready or willing to accept it, but he was willing to accept that some choices weren’t choices, and that the crushing existential horror that he felt in that moment would pass as quickly as it came regardless of what he had to say about the matter. Or at least that was what he thought. Who was to say what would actually happen at that moment. He wasn’t even sure what he believed, or if he believed in anything at all. 

But before he could ponder this, everything went completely black, and the world became still.

(-~-)

Morgan had been sitting there for hours, watching as the gurneys brought in person after person, doctors and nurses writing up and filing reports with grim efficiency and even grimmer expressions on their faces. This was all such a terrible mess, wasn’t it? Such a preposterous waste of life. And all for what? The temporary amusement of a few random madmen? Was that all this was? All that she’d lost her grandparents for?

People wandered about, filling the space around them with the sounds of footsteps, heavy breathing, and. Paper folded out of her line of view as relatives and well-wishers as well as horrified onlookers and shocked spectators filed down the corridors in a horrified rush to find out what had become of the people who had once resided in the small town of Lympha. She had never been so hyper-alert and yet completely distant before in her entire life, and there wasn’t a single thing that she could do to lessen the terror that she felt growing inside of her. A simple but all-consuming question eating away at her like an infection deep in her bones.

_ Where on earth was he? _

Despite the fact that she had sat quietly and diligently in precisely the spot that she would have expected to have seen or heard something by now, there had been nothing. She eyed one of the nearby guards who had been stationed near her, the man glancing over at her as though he simply knew what she was thinking at that moment. Sympathy and annoyance were both present in his face in equal measure as he turned to face the young woman who had helped to make his eventful day even more eventful for the last two hours or so since she’d arrived in a crowded van along with a bunch of other disheveled strangers.

“Look, little lass. Before you ask me again, no. No, I’ve yet to hear anything back from my superiors about the matter at hand, other than the fact that they are combing the woods for any signs of them.” He paused, noting her dismay and hopelessness, her small shoulders falling as the gravity of the hopelessness that she found herself in weighed heavily on her. Perhaps crushing the last remaining remnants of a young and probably traumatized girl’s hopes to find her missing friend was not the best use of his time. “Look… Extra patrols have been despatched, and they are doing everything they can. That’s all I can say. I’m sorry. Really.”

Morgan nodded and sighed heavily, her elbows sliding forward as she used her open palms to cup her moist face, shivering as she finally allowed herself to begin to lose hope. “I know, sir. I know. I’ve just got to tell him that I’m sorry and that I’m grateful for everything. I’ve just gotta say something. I can’t live with it. With what he did for me. No, not like this. Not like this.”

But just as quickly as she’d begun to lose what little hope she had left, something caught her eye.

(-~-)

As if possessed by some otherworldly force, V felt his body lift up out of the frozen grass, his from soaking wet from the water that the ice had thinly concealed below its glossy, reflective surface. Every part of him down to the very marrow in his bones ached, and yet he felt no pain. He was freezing cold, but his body felt strangely warm. Although he was soaking wet, he didn’t feel the weight of his body as he dragged himself forward, his lungs emptying themselves of an impossible amount of water. It was as if the late had attempted to convert him into a part of itself, and there was nothing that he could to do escape the agony that he felt every time he inhaled and found his lungs practically frozen.

It was as if his body were compensating for his lack of mobility, a subconscious part of his brain noting that he was practically floating along despite the fact that he was heavier than he’d probably ever been. His skin prickled from the cold only to immediately become warm again even as the icy wind blew against him. His eyes watered only for the water to freeze and then become strangely warm given the circumstances. By all accounts, he should be dead. But it was as if he simply refused to lay down and die, some part of him too cold to freeze; his entire being fighting his condition in a way that seemed otherworldly and foreign to him.

Despite the fact that he couldn’t feel his right leg, he carried on. It was a numbness that he was familiar with, akin to the way that a limb felt when it went to sleep only much worse. There was a part of him that was sure that he would never be warm again, his body far past the reasonable threshold for hypothermia. While he wasn’t a medical expert, he could tell that much, and he remembered reading somewhere that once you started to feel warm because you were so cold, that  _ that _ was the correct time to let panic set in since you were more than likely doomed. Medical science was incredible, but it could only do so much against odds like that. And despite everything, he still wanted to live. Maybe if he dug deep enough, he could continue forward just a little while longer?

One of the key issues with this plan was that he was simply walking aimlessly with no particular destination in mind. His feet carried onward like they knew where he was supposed to go despite the fact that he had literally no idea where he was going or how he was going to get there. It was surreal, but he didn’t have the strength or the willpower to act against whatever force drove him towards whatever his destination would turn out to be. That coupled with the fact that he seemed to be flashing in and out of consciousness meant that he couldn’t keep going much longer despite his seemingly inhuman drive to do so. 

His skin begged and pleaded with him to be covered with something, anything to stave off the elements, but he couldn’t oblige it. And as he carried on at a questionably rapid pace give his condition and the elements that battled against him, he couldn’t help but acknowledge the reality of the situation that he found himself in. something was genuinely unnerving about the amount of ground that he’d managed to cover in such a short amount of time. If he looked down at the ground, he wasn’t even sure he’d find evidence that he’d walked there. It was almost as though he’d simply moved his body to that location without his permission or direct input, and he didn’t know how to explain why or how it had happened, or the energy to object to it. He was simply there now, and that was all he could do about it.

Before long, against all odds, he saw the lights that lined the main highway, his mind trying and failing in his strangely energetic state to comprehend how he’d managed to walk here. It didn’t seem possible, yet here he was. Was it possible that he’d simply died and was now stuck in some strange idealistic limbo? Most certainly so, but he somehow knew that wasn’t the case in this situation despite the fact that stringing together any kind of coherent thought seemed nearly impossible. He exhaled heavily and stumbled forward, relieved and yet totally unsure as to why as he approached the road, eyeing it in a way that implied that he drew some measure of relief upon seeing it like it would offer him salvation of something. But perhaps that wasn’t too off base considering what happened only a short moment later.

The very instant that his legs finally became weak and he felt himself swaying unsteadily, V heard the sound of an approaching vehicle. By that point, he was too weak to even feel the fear that he knew he should have felt at the prospect of encountering what could be his enemies again. All his mind could focus on was the searing pain in his right leg and the full-body throbbing that threatened to sap every ounce of strength he had left. And as the patrol car came barreling into sight, V felt an ounce of relief was over him like a tidal wave as he hit the pavement and everything went black for the second time that day.

(-~-)

For a moment, all he could hear was the roaring of an engine, a vehicle that was too light to be the truck that had held him against his will spiriting him away to some unknown location. He vaguely remembered seeing lights along the street in the misty night sky, the fog that encompassed the area making everything brighter than it should have been. It was like he was caught in a fog machine, and all he could do was close his eyes again, despite the fact that he wasn’t really sure he’d actually opened them. All around him were the sounds of machinery and engines, and he wasn’t sure when the two became separate entities.

Then came the second set of lights, this time directly over his head as he felt himself moving forwards towards something. Warmth encompassed him as he registered the low hum of something unfamiliar near him once he stopped, his brain attempting to pull its self from the fog that he now metaphorically found himself stuck in. There was some part of him that knew that he was indoors, but he didn’t have the slightest idea how he knew that. Maybe it was the inviting warmth that he imagined he’d feel if every nerve ensign that had the misfortune of being attached to his skin wasn’t screaming like he’d been lit on fire. He wanted to muster the energy to speak up and say something about his condition to the other human beings who he could only imagine were around him, but he couldn’t, so instead, he focused on the rhythmic spinning of the wheels below him as they passed over a skip in whatever surface they found themselves on every few seconds or so.

Much to his surprise, he found himself stationary shortly thereafter, an obvious change in texture drawing him from his semiconscious state back into a more dreamlike level of consciousness. It was as though he’d just gone from laying on pavement or something equally as rigid and unyielding to being swaddled by the clouds themselves, his body not used to being in such an ergonomic state. It was strange, but not at all unwelcome. And finally, he registered the voices that he was willing to guess had always been there. At least two figures were standing somewhere nearby, and from what he could tell, they were discussing something pertaining to him.

_ “I’m sorry, you said his internal temperature was  _ **_what_ ** _ now? That can’t be!” _

_ “You know, that’s what I said! So I went and check again, and sure enough, it was right.” _

_ “Everything I’ve ever been taught says it’s impossible to come back from an internal temperature that low! And you’re telling me that he’s, what, just on basic support? No Hypothermia, Renal System failure, or Frostbite or anything?!” _

_ “Look, I didn’t say it made medical sense. I said that’s what happened. He just got incredibly lucky. I don’t know how else to even put it. It’s literally a miracle that he isn’t frozen solid right now. Aside from some kind of undefined injury to his leg that we’re currently investigating, he’s going to be totally fine somehow!” _

_ “Well, geez. I’m happy for him, then. It’s about time we got some kind of positive news today. It’s good to see that at least one of these poor people is going to pull through and come back from the brink. Everything is such a mess. It’s a tragedy. I’m gonna see if that poor kid needs anything.” _

They were doctors, and he was in some kind of emergency room. Suddenly everything became so clear to him as he peered over at them quietly, some part of him curious to hear what they had to say and equally unwilling to ask out of fear of being delivered a bad outcome. He was still alive, and he’d made it out of that place, even if he didn’t know who had found him and brought him the rest of the way. He would have to thank them in the future if he was able to. But as the reality of where he was and what he’d just experienced set in, so did an undeniable wave of relief and undefinable grief.

Somehow against all odds, he was still alive. He’d managed to escape with his life after everything had stacked the odds against him, and he was somewhere safe and warm and dry where those psychopaths couldn’t reach him. And he had no idea how to process that. But as soon as he could, he would. And then he would go and find Morgan. To see her safe; to know that she was in good hands would bring him closure. But for now, he would allow himself to rest and recover. Something told him that whatever was going on with his leg was going to prevent him from going anywhere anytime soon, and so it was best to let his body take its natural course and for him to relax and recover as best as he could.

With the day they’d both had, it was the least he could do. And he hoped that wherever Morgan was, she was doing the same. Something told him she wasn’t far off.

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter hits different now. Yikes.
> 
> Phew! It’s been a while since I’ve written a chapter this early in the morning. Well, time to go to bed! It’s Monday morning now, and I have things to get down tomorrow so that I can go to bed on time and get up Tuesday morning to write again lol! Literally, my entire life schedule revolves around the release schedule of this fic now. It’s crazy, but it’s the only thing giving my life structure during this quarantine. And yet, in spite of it all, I’m just glad that I have time to write again. Gosh, it’s been forever.
> 
> If you haven’t already, check out the link I posted at the end of the last chapter of the fic. I’ll be taking submissions from now until the end of time, so that might be fun for you. And to the FF.N readers: do you actually exist? My statistics and stuff don’t work, but I haven’t heard from you all in about 30 chapters. Everything alright?
> 
> Anyway, see you all on Friday, and remember: I adore you all! Take care and stay safe!


	13. Chapter 13: Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: Sorry this one was a little late! I had company over, and we were having such a good time that I forgot to upload the chapter! My bad!

Chapter Thirteen: Forward

(-~-)

Time seemed to flow a little differently in the quiet chaos of the hospital’s intensive care wing. Drifting in and out of consciousness lent him a skewed sense of what was actually going on around him and, as such, he didn’t truly understand the gravity of the situation that he found himself in. And in a way, there was a part of him that was eternally grateful for that, because he could only scarcely imagine the horrors that must be occurring within his vicinity if the sounds were anything to go by.

All around him, the sounds of machinery humming and people shouting and yelling over one another filled the stagnant air, most not taking the news of the demise of their loved ones lightly. And there was no definite reason that anyone could give them as to why it had happened in the first place. It was simply one of those freak things that no one could really adequately prepare themselves for, like an earthquake or other natural disaster. Only this was different because should there have been an adequate police presence present at the time or some other form of armed response, they might still be alive. You couldn’t fight a tidal wave, but you  _ could _ shoot an idiot with a knife who was trying to stab your mother to death. And while you couldn’t do anything to nature for sweeping your house away in a mudslide, you could sit in a courtroom and face the evil individuals who killed your family.

V felt fortunate at that moment that he had no one to lose. As much as he cared for Morgan, especially in the moments when he wasn’t sure they were both going to make it, they weren’t family in the way these other people were. He’d liken them to friends, maybe even good friends now. But he could only imagine what kind of damage losing your mother or father or even your grandparents to something like this could do to you. And as V drifted in the semiconscious state that he found himself in, he couldn’t help but feel the agony of the space around him. It was as if the hospital had a presence of its own and it was weeping in sorrow from what it had lost. What had been lost within its sterile walls despite the best attempts of those who sought to do the best they could by those who had been sent there to be cared for by them.

More time than he could adequately acknowledge in his hazy state passed, and soon he found himself awake. It was a strange sort of hyperawareness that he rarely felt, and it was somewhat akin to those rare mornings when you woke up and sat up in your bed only to realize that you were wide awake somehow. In truth, V had never been a morning person. It wasn’t so much that he was a night owl as it was the fact that his mind tended to wander into the late hours of the night, keeping him awake when all he craved was the sweet embrace of a deep slumber. But at that moment, he was very much awake. And he was very much aware of where he was.

Judging by the conversations that he had heard bits and pieces of, he was somewhat surprised that his leg wasn’t in some form of traction. In truth, he couldn’t actually  _ feel _ anything that might be wrong with it. In fact, he hadn’t been able to feel it at all when he’d first realized that they were talking about him. But in that same vein, he was just glad that he still had it. Talk of hypothermia claiming a part of him like that was a phobia he hadn’t realized he’d had until that day, and it was one that he wasn’t keen on helping come to fruition. But at the moment he had more pressing matters to attend to.

There was a doctor there to see him, and they looked utterly and totally perplexed.

“Hello, young man. I apologize, but your medical chart doesn’t reflect your name, and I don’t think you’ve been treated here before due to a lack of other forms of identification or other records in our system.” He pulled up a chair, plopping down with a much friendlier look on his face than he’d previously possessed. He seemed somewhat intrigued instead of confused. “I’m David. I was just coming to check on you, and here you are, awake and coherent! Wonderful. You’re doing spectacular, all things considered. It’s actually slightly unbelievable.”

V tilted his head to the side slightly, admittedly taken aback slightly by the statement. What did he mean by that? Did they expect him to be doing poorly? In truth, his memory of what had happened recently was somewhat spotty due to his prolonged period of inactivity and semiconsciousness, but even still, that was enough to cause him a great deal of concern. The most he could remember was bits and pieces of him somehow reaching the road and then collapsing. What exactly had happened to him after that was a mystery, as far as he was concerned, so this was all news to him.

“I get the impression that you didn’t expect me to recover from…” He paused for a moment, trying his best to recall what had actually happened that could have injured him. Unfortunately, he came up empty. “Actually… what  _ did _ happen to me? My memory is a little bit hazy at the moment. Did I hit my head or something?”

“No, but your vitals were all wrong when you arrived.” The doctor took a moment to leaf through the papers on his clipboard, shaking his head as though he himself didn’t believe what he was reading. “Your internal body temperature was at 90 degrees, and you were suffering from  Acute Tachyarrhythmia. You’d also somehow managed to walk what we estimate was around 5 miles in soaking wet clothing during a blizzard with a major impairment to your right leg. At first, we thought your femur was broken, but all of our follow-up X-rays have come up inconclusive. I can’t say anything as to the rigidity of your bones, or your ability to actually  _ walk _ at the moment, but the fact that you are sitting here breathing and seemingly just fine is nothing short of a miracle.”

If he’d been able to look at himself, V probably would have found the absolutely gobsmacked look on his face amusing. Despite the fact that he didn’t understand the implications of what most of those terms meant, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t somewhat shocked to hear that he had apparently nearly died and yet didn’t feel any different. “That condition you mentioned… acute -what was it- what does that mean?”

David looked at him for a moment as though he were attempting to remember what he was talking about before looking upwards again, seemingly jolted back to reality. “Oh! Acute Tachyarrhythmia? It’s a form of arrhythmia or heart palpitation. Essentially, your heart rate was far above what it should have been. Well into the 300s, and nearly at the 400 mark at its peak, which is irregular, to say the least! We had to administer anti-adrenaline, but much to our surprise, the normal dose didn’t seem to do much of anything. Four injections later, we were finally able to sedate you, but the entire situation was deeply strange, to say the least. That might be why you don’t remember much.”

Looking over at V, he paused for a moment to see how he was reacting to the news before continuing. Giving him a stress aneurysm after he’d managed to survive such extraordinary circumstances was relatively low on his list of wants, and the last thing he wanted to do was overwhelm him. “Are you alright? I can stop now, if you’d like. I understand that this is probably a bit much for you to take in so soon after waking up. You  _ have _ been out of it for quite some time now.”

The white-haired teen immediately went on alert at the statement, his pupils dilating in slight apprehension and shock. What did he mean by that? “Please tell me that I haven’t been in a coma for several weeks or something like that. Even if you have to lie.”

David smiled sympathetically, shaking his head. “Oh, no! It’s only been about four days, young man. Nothing that serious. And that was mostly due to the sedatives we had to give you. I suspect that if your chart is anything to go by, that will be just fine.” He took another quick glance at the chart, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked over something. “You may have some arrhythmia issues in the future, but nothing that should impair or limit you. You’d need a follow-up appointment to look into that, however. I don’t have the authority to diagnose you with anything. I’m just a general medicine doctor, and that is my opinion on the matter. Nothing more, though I do hope you do well. You’ve been through an awful lot for someone so young. What a terrible shame.”

V resisted the urge to nod in agreement. Yes. He had been through entirely too much in his young life. As far as he was concerned, that was a fact. Still, he was surprised to find that he couldn’t make himself look at the situation with an entirely negative outlook. He’d never been through something so physically dangerous, but this was far from the first time he’d ever been in peril, and he was sure it would not be the last. That was just a fact of life. Or at least it was a fact of the life he lived, but what reason was there to be splitting hairs about it at this point?

“Yes. Yes, it is.” He lingered on the words that the doctor had spoken for a moment, turning to look in the direction of the window. He needed a moment to himself to think and take in the gravity of the situation that he found himself in. It was admittedly more than he could properly process all at once, but at least he knew for the most part that he was alright and that everything would be okay. But in all honesty, he didn’t know where he was going to go from there. Back to the town to pack, maybe. But after that, what would he do? “I realize that I still haven’t given you my name. You can call me V.”

The doctor looked at him as though he was going to question him further, but decided to drop the matter for the time being. After all, they weren’t going to be billing any of the survivors, and he was probably slightly dazed and overwhelmed at the moment. There was no point in pushing him to reveal information that he didn’t feel like discussing. And for all the doctor knew, that could very well be his name. People tended to give their children unusual names nowadays.

“Well, I’ll give you a little while to collect your thoughts and think of anything you’d like to ask. From what I can tell, your free to go, but there isn’t a rush.” David stood up and straightened out his coat, looking towards the door to check and see if he was needed. “Your one of the last people from Lympha that’s still here, so we’re not short on rooms or anything.”

A thought occurred to V as the doctor spoke those words, a low undertone of dread rising up from the pits of his gut. He knew the answer to his question long before he actually asked it, but he was hoping to be pleasantly surprised for once. Sadly, he received the usual brand of disappointment and anguish that he was so used to. It seemed that wherever he went, disaster followed not long after. “The rest of the townspeople… did any of them make it?’ 

Gods how he hoped his gut feeling could be wrong, but he knew.

David shook his head slightly, looking down at the floor for a moment. He fell silent, grief overtaking him for a moment before he responded. “Sadly not many of them did. So far of the two-hundred and thirty-seven residents that are currently known to reside in the town, we’ve only managed to locate about six of you so far. Thankfully the other three-fourths of the town were gone for the season at the time, so the damage was somewhat contained. I shudder to imagine what would have happened if everyone had been home for the season…”

V closed his eyes for a moment in contemplation, still facing the window. The warm sun wasn’t something he normally relished in. In fact, he was much more at home in colder climates. But in this particular instance, he couldn’t help but feel lucky to be able to feel anything at all. He didn’t want to know how many of those who had perished had been children or elderly people. None of them had deserved their fate. While everyone in the town hadn’t always been the kindest to him as a general rule, they had never been overtly unkind or hostile, and none of them had done something to merit the horrible end that they had been granted. At least not his knowledge, but he could scarcely imagine what they could have done to incur such insurmountable wrath, especially from such a seemingly random opponent.

“… What about the people who attacked us. Has anything been said about them?”

A sigh of something akin to contentment escaped David’s lips. V could tell that he was tired, and probably new to the job. Most of the doctors that he’d encountered in his life were a bit more adept at hiding how they felt. If he was willing to bet, he’d be willing to wager that David might be a resident or an intern of some sort. But his heart was in the right place, and he appreciated the honesty, especially in a situation like this. It didn’t matter to V in the slightest. Everyone had to start somewhere.

“Thankfully I can give you some good news there. Or, at least something a little bit better. It’s more strangeness, sadly.” The doctor leaned against the doorway, straightening his posture as best as he could. “That’s where they got the other survivors from. They were held up in the woods somewhere. The people who attacked your town had taken them into the woods to do some kind of ritual. Anyway, there was a huge shootout, and most of them were killed. Their accomplices in the next town over were arrested, and part of the town actually got buried under a snowdrift during the incident. Karma, maybe? Anyway, there hasn’t been given much of a reason yet, just something about how their “lord wished this of them” and “the prophecy has to be fulfilled”. They all sound out of their minds to me, but the one upside to this situation is that the people involved will be looked up for a long time, and they will  _ never _ be able to hurt anyone else again. That’s the best outcome you can hope for in a situation like this if I’m being honest. It’s shades of grey, not black and white. And sometimes you have to find the brightest light in the darkest room, so to speak.”

Just as the doctor seemed to be about to continue, but didn’t get the chance. Just before he could speak, his attention was drawn away by a small head of messy hair poking through the doorway. Neither of them got the opportunity to speak before Morgan bolted into the room, running over in a teary-eyed mess to see if V was okay. David put his arm in front of her in an effort to stop her, but V waived him away, unwilling to allow her worries to be dismissed. He could tell she had been through an awful lot during his absences. Her eyes said it all.

“No no, let her through. Please. It’s fine. I know her.” V moved to sit on the edge of the bed, not entirely sure what his intention for doing so really was. If he was willing to guess, he’d say that he just wanted to show her that he was alright, but in truth, he didn’t really know whether or not he was or what he was so eager to come to her aid. There was just something about the look of absolute heartbreak on her pretty little face that struck a nerve with him. He never wanted to see her like that again.

“Oh thank- your okay! You haven’t been awake in like four days, V! I was worried sick about you!” Morgan looked as though she wanted to strangle him, but there was no anger in her face. Only relief, sorrow, and exhaustion. He got the impression that she probably hadn’t left the hospital, slept, or ate much in the time since he’d arrived. It was understandable, but he hoped it wasn’t the case. “I’m just glad you’re okay. You looked absolutely terrible when they brought you in. I thought you were gonna die! Had me worried sick there for a while”

Realizing that they needed time alone, the doctor waived politely to them both before quietly exiting the room and closing the door behind himself. Both V and Morgan watched him as he went, relieved to see one another again. He noted that as he tried to put weight on his right leg, he felt a persistent burning sensation and he had a bit of difficulty putting weight on it, but aside from that, he was sure that he could and would manage just fine on his own. Maybe that was the best place for him right now. Morgan would return to life with her family, and he would go elsewhere. Maybe just pack his bags and go. It was worth a shot.

“I’m glad to see you’re doing alright as well. I presume you’re going back to stay with your mother?” V asked, not entirely sure what to say or do at that point. It was a lot to take in.

Morgan nodded. “Yea, she’s waiting for me in the lobby. She came up to see you and thank you for helping me, but you were off getting an x-ray or something, so she couldn’t. Said to thank you for her. She’s too upset about my grandparents to really say much right now.” Morgan looked distant for a moment, more than likely sharing her mother’s sorrow. He knew that it had to be a lot for her. “What are you going to do now? Supposedly all of us are going to be getting some kind of huge payout for having to go through all of this nightmarish crap. I know your not just going to move back into that town and pretend that none of this happened. Any plans for the future, or is it too early in the morning for that.”

V smirked. He really did like this young girl. She had a certain tenacity to her that he didn’t see very often in the people he interacted with. And he was willing to admit that he thought he understood that sentiment. But he lacked the nerve, and that was something that she had in spades. 

“I think I’m going to pack my things, put them in storage, and catch the first train that goes as far as possible from here. Once I’m on board, I’ll ride it until I see someplace that catches my eye or until I reach the end of the line.” He shrugged slightly, unsure of what else to say. “If that happens, I’ll board a different train and keep going. And when I’m ready, I’ll contact you. I don’t know how long that will be, but I promise that I will.”

Morgan a hand on her hip, shaking her head. “Call me crazy, but I’m willing to bet you’ve done this before. Just a hunch.”

V nodded, smirking again. She was smarter than she looked, and that was truly saying something because she didn’t look the slightest bit stupid. “If you need me, contact me. Please. But I have to leave here. I’m sorry.”

She held up her hand to hush him. “I understand, V. Just knowing you’re alive is enough. Don’t’ you dare tell me your sorry. I don’t’ want you to be. I want you to leave here and live your life and be happy. I’m going to try and do the same. We both deserve that.”

He looked back at the window again, feeling the morning sun on his face. That was something that he was willing to agree with her on. After all, he’d always wanted to travel. And now that he had nothing to tie him down, why waste the opportunity. If there was one thing that the entire experience he’d just gone through had taught him, it was that he never knew when he could wake up and it could be his last day. He didn’t want to squander that. Not while he still had breath in his body.

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this ark! It’s basically over now, so I’m excited to hear what you thought of it! See you all next week, and stay safe out there! To the comment section! Away!


	14. Chapter 14: Affirmation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Sorry this chapter is a few hours late! I live in that part of Texas where all the bullshit is going on with the power. Woke up the morning to a $50 electric bill FOR ONE NIGHT. My apartment is only 1100 square feet. The bill was $12 the day before that. Let that one sink in. But anyway, this is one of my favorite chapters so far! Very exciting stuff! I hope you like it! 

Chapter Fourteen: Affirmation

-~-

A gifted storyteller is capable of drawing their audience in. They are adept at holding a certain level of intrigue and suspense, forcing their audience to pay attention, lest they miss something crucial and ruin the experience for themselves. An inexperienced or lesser storyteller bored their audience or drove them away, serving as nothing more than a momentary distraction from the usual pace of their everyday lives. But under this very specific set of circumstances, no one present was sure where to place the experience they’d just suffered through. 

Each of them felt a great sense of conflict deep within themselves as they considered each and every word that they’d just heard. It was a strange and unsettling course of action, one that made them desire to do nothing more than curl up and withdraw from the subject at hand. They believed every word that they’d just heard, but they couldn’t tell if that was a good or a bad thing, especially when it came to the subject of the story that they had just been told. The fact that he was both the narrator and the main focus of the experience meant that it was entirely believable, but completely unfathomable, like a destiny nightmare that none of them wanted to look in the face. That would make it too real; give it too much power over them. But regardless of their stance on the matter, it had happened, and it did affect all of them to some varying degree.

V had always possessed a certain gift for speech, despite the fact that he wasn’t a man of many words. His tone, cantor, and temperament combined with a keen intellect and a nearly flawless combination of memory and repertoire meant that he was perhaps the most engaging person that they currently knew to talk to. But that entire combination became the absolute worst thing that someone could experience the moment that V decided that he needed to get the traumas of his past off of his chest and into the open air. After all, V was exceptionally strong-willed in regards to his emotions. When something affected him deeply, it tended to be negative, and it was almost certainly beyond the scope of what any of them wanted to know about. But if he was willing to give them a glimpse into his world, then they wanted to take the opportunity to peer inside and take in every bit of information that they could.

None of them really knew what to say when he seemed to reach the end of his horrifying tale of sadness and pain. Every word that he’d spoken had carried such a strong hint of anguish, terror, or apprehension that it made it physically unnerving to listen to, but as much as they now wished that they could take back the experience, they were grateful that he’d decided to share it with them. It put a lot of things into context that none of them had been able to understand before, and despite the fact that certain aspects of his life would now haunt them for the rest of time, they felt better for knowing them.

Was it possible to be grateful to someone for telling you something that you’d have been happy going your entire life without knowing? Because if it was, then they were. But if they weren’t, then would that make them too immature to comprehend the suffering of someone so near and dear to them? Was it selfish to desire ignorance while assuming that they were strong and powerful and possessed the necessary strength and tenacity to recon with such an experience, but simply chose not to in order to spare themselves the suffering that one who deemed himself weaker than them had already survived? Was that entire line of thinking too philosophical for a matter that was both so very complicated but oh so simple? None of them could say anything at the moment, so they didn’t say anything. They simply waited to be sure that V was either done talking, or that he was waiting for them to say something, anything to break up the tense silence that had settled across the snow like a blanket soaked in glue.

And after a while of waiting in silence, totally unsure as to what to do next, Vergil decided to break the silence between them. He’d never been one to follow the lead of others, and he sure wasn’t going to start now. And as far as the concept of taking the time to feel the weight of his words upon those who he’d directed them towards, he didn’t feel he had the time to waste. A direct approach was required in a situation like this, especially when there were so many questions that had been raised during his time speaking that could dissipate from his psyche like so much fog after a storm as a result of his prolonged wait. He had felt an intense desire to not interrupt V, owning to the fact that he feared that if he was stopped, he would love his nerve and decide that he didn’t’ wish to speak on such matters after all. But now that he was at least somewhat sure that his eldest son was done talking for the time being, he was ready to start asking questions. Best to catch him before his threshold for conversation was exceeded and he shut down like an engine in disrepair.

“...You said that you desired to pick a random direction and leave. Why?” Vergil adjusted his posture in his seat, his head coming to rest against his palm as his elbow planted itself firmly in the arm of the chair and the devil slayer in blue crossed his legs. It was all that he could do for the time being to placate the murderous rage that he felt brewing in the very back of his subconscious. Never had he desired to end the lives of so many people that he’d never met before. “And for that matter, where did your travels take you after that? Was the end result desirable?”

The young while haired summoner in black afforded himself a moment to ponder his father’s question before responding, unsure as to what to say. On its surface, it was a simple enough question. Vergil had no way of knowing how deep the answer had the potential of going. And it was a good question at that. It seemed that his father desired to simply take what had happened as an unwavering fact and build off of that, taking the time to let his mind settle before venturing forward. He believed him and didn’t seem to desire to question his motivations for doing anything that he’d done, respecting his capacity to make his own decisions. Or maybe even respecting the decisions themselves. He couldn’t be sure just yet. But there was a part of V that couldn’t help but wonder what Vergil might do with the information afforded to him now that he had so much time on his hands.

“It was something that I was accustomed to by that point. Something familiar when nothing else was. I’d spend the better part of my youth going back and forth to new and unknown places in the hope of a better outcome. But I learned quickly that while many things changed as you went from place to place, people largely stayed the same. And the problems that came with them only reset to start anew.” V grew silent, his eyes wandering across the room towards Nero. He sat quietly on the couch towards the right corner, twiddling his thumbs in complacent horror as though what he’d just heard had probably changed him in some profound way, or at had at least his perception of his older sibling in a substantial way. It was a stark contrast to Dante, whose uncharacteristic silence, thoughtful posture, and calm atmosphere mirrored his older twin’s in a way that was as fascinating as it was unsettling. V didn’t know what to make of it. “As for the end result of this particular expedition… well, it led me directly to you. It took a few years, but the result was worthwhile, I think. I was lucky enough to be taken under the wing of a group of outcasts, and I spent a substantial amount of time traveling and performing with them, only to end up in Redgrave City the night that you happened upon me. I was out for a walk when we happened upon one another on that street corner, and everything that has happened since has been nothing short of extraordinary. And harrowing. Especially that.”

The Darkslayer tilted his head to the side, leaning back slightly. “I take it that you do not remember much of what occurred that night, then. Perhaps that is for the best. The end result was, as we all seem to agree,  _ undesirable _ . Though it was never my intention for my actions to lead to the consequences that they did, they did so regardless.” He seemed to consider his next statement for a moment before speaking, V’s retelling of his farrowing ordeal weighing on him in a way that he was not accustomed to. Oh, how things would have been different should he have been there. How the tables could have turned in their favor. But despite his best intentions, Vergil was more than aware of the fact that there was little that could be done about what’s he’d missed in his past. There was, however, a substantial amount that he could, and would do now. “Saddling you with a death sentence as soon as I discovered that you were alive after all was as far afield from what I intended as it could possibly be, but it happened anyway. Things never seem to go according to my plans. But I can only imagine that that may be due to my pension for creating them without taking every variable into account, and for not having all of the relevant information in the first place.”

Dante felt tempted to point out that Vergil had essentially just apologized to V, but he decided to leave the matter be. There would be time enough later. For now, he was going to take in the scene before him and silently contemplate his overall role in the situation. Though to say that the same part of him that felt somewhat responsible for Nero’s suffering as a child didn’t yearn to have been able to do something more for V would be a lie. Financially unstable as he was and always had been, he would have taken them both in without a second’s pause if given the opportunity. They would have all benefited greatly from having someone,  _ anyone _ to call family. At least biologically.

V seemed to take his father’s words to heart. He’d been in situations of his own that lent themselves to the same vicious pattern of failure, regret, and sacrifice. It was what had led him to become the person that he now was. But he didn’t know Vergil’d particular brand of suffering, and he hoped that he never would. Although he could be mistaken, he was willing to believe that there was a part of Vergil that did in fact long for the time in their lives that he’s missed out on. The Darkslayer didn’t come off to him as the kind of person to willingly walk away from something so integral to him. Maybe it was time to get to the heart of the matter. After all, things couldn’t really get any more uncomfortable, could they?

“The vast majority of us do not plan for or wish for the consequences of our actions to play out in the way that they do, father, but that does not change the fact that we must account for them, accommodate them, and answer for them regardless of our desire to do so.” V crossed his arms loosely, making eye contact with Vergil in a way that unnerved both him and everyone else present. Something had shifted in V’s demeanor, and it was evident to anyone who spared a look at him. It was as if a certain level of inhibition had fallen away from him and he felt the freedom to say something that he’d always wanted to; the confidence to be heard and understood. “If I could have planned out every little detail of my life, it would have played out significantly different. I would not have spent my youth bounced back and forth between numerous orphanages. I would never have voluntarily chosen to be able to see the things that I was able to see. And I most certainly wouldn’t have undergone the extensive and invasive mental evaluations that I was forced to undergo out of the fear that I might actually be as insane as everyone around me seemed to collectively assume I was. But unfortunately, that is now how things went. But I can say for sure that I am done running from them. Whether I face them down or flee for my life, I will still have to do battle with them, so I might as well face my fate on my own terms.”

Nero and Dante gave one another a surprised look, the eldest of the two shaking his head as if he were physically trying to shake off how surprised he was. His eyes widened slightly as his eyebrows raised, seemingly taken by surprise as he lingered on the gravity of what V had just said to his father. As far as V’s normally sedate and polite tone and manner of speaking went, he’s essentially just put Vergil in his place and given him a piece of his mind, and the eldest Son of Sparda hadn’t said anything to correct him. Perhaps he was just impressed with the nerve he’d just demonstrated? Or perhaps it was something more substantial? It was hard to say when it came to his older twin.

Vergil leaned forward, giving V an unflinching piercing look as he seemed to dwell on his words. He half expected V to flinch or turn away, but he didn’t, and there was a part of him that was admittedly genuinely impressed by his eldest son’s sudden shift in tone. Something had seemingly clicked for him that hadn’t before, and it was evident for anyone present to see. For lack of a better way of putting it, after recalling such a harrowing experience, V just seemed utterly done with being at the mercy of his enemies, and it was time that he did something about that.

But there more to his statement than that, at least from where Vergil stood. V had just done something that he was confident that his son had never done before. He’d addressed him as just that: his father. In all the time that they’d spoken prior to that moment, V had been, for the most part at least, nothing but polite and upfront with him, but he’d never said anything that indicated to him that he was willing to verbally claim him as his father. And at that moment, he’d finally done so. Vergil hadn’t realized how much he needed one of his children to do that in a sincere way. Nero had called him as much before, but this was different in some way. There was no anger behind the abjection; no ulterior motive or thinly veiled layer of something secondary. No, it was just as simple as that. As simple as a son addressing his father as exactly that in a moment that told him that he was indeed making some headway with his sons. And as far as Vergil was concerned, he didn’t think that it was possible for him to be more internally pleased about that revelation than he already was. And although he hid it well, there was a part of him that was deeply touched by something that simple. For the first time in a long time, Vergil didn’t know how to take a statement that had been given to him at face value, and it was an incredible thing to behold.

“You have something you want to ask, don’t you? I can tell. Come out with it then. You’ve come this far in regards to expressing your desires. Why stop now? What is it that you truly wish to ask me? Because I can tell that there is indeed something that you desire to make known, and we only have so much time.” Vergil broke eye contact with V for a moment to turn his attention to Dante, his intention to speak with both of them clear. It seemed that his message was something universal between the four of them, a topic that none of them wished to approach, but were going to have to at some point. “It could be substantially less world-ending than you might imagine. Take it from someone who is less… adept at doing so when it actually counts.”

Dante didn’t miss his identical twin’s message. Neither did Nero or V for that matter. Though they were all equally taken aback by it, they were willing to absorb the context of it and accept that there was some truth to it. They  _ did _ in fact all need to find a way to express their true thoughts and intentions more clearly with one another than they had been, regardless of the strides they’d made so far in regards to improving their communication with one another. Going forward, this was their chance to do something meaningful. They needed to seize it.

V looked at Vergil for a moment, his posture and overall demeanor softening significantly as he suddenly looked tired. It was different from how he usually seemed when he was in such a state, more emotional than physical. Talking about what occurred had drained him in a way that he was not accustomed to, and it showed, but he knew better than to simply give in and allow his inhibitions to get the better of him. Maybe he should just ask as his father had suggested? At this point, what could it hurt?

“I want to know why you didn’t know I was alive. And I want to know why I’m able to see the things that I can see. I’m willing to believe that it is…  _ abnormal _ for a child to be able to do what I was able to do, even by the standards of our family.” V went quiet for a moment, blinking rapidly for a moment as he suddenly felt a rush of emotion that he couldn’t’ quiet place. “And I want to know if you would have come looking for us if you had known. What you would have done.”

The demon slayer in blue’s posture changed slightly. It was something that Dante picked up on more than the rest of them did, something that Vergil didn’t generally do. Even under the most extreme circumstances, Vergil  _ never _ slumped, not even a little. Or at least, he’d never seen his twin brother do so. It was almost unnatural how such a small thing unnerved him. A quick look in Nero’s direction was all it took to see that he was watching the situation intently, seemingly invested in Vergil’s answer. Dante repressed the urge to sigh in discomfort. The stakes were high this time.

_ “Please. Don’t’ say something you’d normally say for once, Vergil. Just this once. This really isn’t the time to do that to them. Put them down gently if you have to. I don’t think that they are in the mood for that right now. Even if it’s the honest truth.” _

Much to his surprise, Vergil looked over at him for a moment. It was as though Vergil had heard his younger twin’s thoughts. While his facial expression was largely unreadable, they both seemed to know at that moment what Vergil was going to say, it made them equally uncomfortable. Vergil, because he knew the truth, and Dante because he was almost certain that he didn’t want to. Nothing in the blue devil’s life was ever simple or good in that kind of way, and something told him that there would be repercussions for this one.

“Bold of you to assume that I didn’t look for you, V. I did. For countless hours in countless places until every just started to blend together into an amalgamation of all the ground I’d already tread before then. During the pursuit of what I’d lost, hopelessness set in and brought the bitterness that I’ve carried with me for so long with it.” Vergil paused for a moment, his eyes drifting over to Nero. This was not the kind of conversation that he could leave his youngest son out of, no matter how much he wanted to. There was no delicate way to put what he needed to say. All he could do was hope that they took it the way he meant it, and not in the way that they were entitled to. But that was their prerogative and their privilege, if one could even call it that. “And then somehow I looked up and I was in Fortuna. And I met  _ her _ . And then I arrived in Redgrave City a lifetime later only to find that perhaps the only time I truly allowed my grief to consume me that the very person who had sought to comfort me in such a state had been left in a truly regrettable state as a result. And so had the result of our one fleeting night of passion.”

Vergil realized quickly that neither V nor Nero were truly able to take in the severity of what Vergil had just implied, or the fact that he’d been so open and honest with them about something he had tried so hard to keep buried deep within himself. A heavy sigh betrayed his true emotions, as did the sad, sly smirk that ghosted his face for the fleeting moment that he’d been unable to contain it. 

“I find it almost genuinely ironic that I managed to get myself into this situation twice without realizing it. I never considered myself unintelligent, by my actions certainly lend to that conclusion. Much as the horror of my existence has led to the trauma and pain that paved the dark path that I walked in solitude for the majority of my life, the regret I have caused and have left behind has been all that I have left in my wake.” He faced them all, accustomed to even attempting what he was doing at that moment. Vergil wasn’t entirely sure he recognized the actions that he was taking as his own, but he accepted the reality and the truth behind them nonetheless. This was long overdue, even if it was something that he truly didn’t know how to reckon with. But V’s words about the reality of taking responsibility for the consequences of one’s actions had resonated with him, and he could no longer deny that. “It is almost humbling how much I truly regret the depth of the suffering I’ve caused, and for that… I am sorry. There is more that I could have done that I did not, and I can only hope that it brings you some small measure of satisfaction knowing that it will eternally haunt me.”

For the first time in what felt like ages, Nero shook his head, a troubled look on his face. He couldn’t even begin to put into words how Vergil’s confession affected him, but he still felt the need to get something off of his chest. He had a lot of questions, but he knew he’d get to the root of them eventually. For now, he needed to say something that he now realized he’d needed to say for a long time, and he just hoped that it wasn’t too late. The things he’d experienced that day had affected him deeply in ways that he could never have imagined when they’d boarded the train to Lucia’s house. It was enough to physically give him whiplash.

“No, that doesn’t bring us satisfaction. Were not sadists. I mean, you might be but… More suffering isn’t going to bring any of us that. I’m pretty sure we’re all tapped out by now.” The short white-haired devil hunter sighed, unsure as to how to take the number of eyes that were on him at that moment. He wasn’t shy, but that didn’t make this any less awkward. It seemed that he wasn’t the only one accustomed to him being this serious. “Look just… fix it, okay? We both know you can. All of us do. You just fucking suck at forgiving yourself for literally anything you do, and it really shows. Stop kicking your own ass so hard, and start fixing the shit you broke in the first place. That’s our job. Nothing’s gonna change otherwise, ya know?”

Both V and Dante looked Nero up and down for a moment as though he’d been replaced by another individual that they didn’t recognize. While they shared his sentiments, they were still shocked to hear Nero be the voice of reason among them during such a heavy conversation. Maybe they had written him off too soon as a lost cause in that regard. Vergil nodded in agreement, a single barely noticeable gesture that carried a weight that he himself wasn’t entirely privy to. He would try as he had done with everything else that he had committed himself to in the past. It was all he could do. And he could only hope that it would be enough.

Just as they were attempting to figure out where they needed to go from there, the door swung open with a surprising amount of force to reveal none other than Nico. She was covered in a grey substance that looked like dust or ash, and a look of both shock and excitement adorned her face. She was practically jumping up and down in glee at whatever she’d just seen that had led to her returning so suddenly. The four of them shared an apprehensive look before turning to see what had captivated her in such an intense manner.

“Oh, for fucks sake! What the hell did you do  _ this time _ , Nico?! We don’t live here!” Nero started before Nico hushed him, pointing over her shoulder towards something out of sight behind her. A resounding boom that carried both a strange sonic tone and a defining shake followed closely behind as if he’d triggered it just by willing it into existence. Now she had their attention. How had they not noticed that something more was going on? Had they been that focused on V’s retelling of his tragic and harrowing ordeal?

“Listen here, shit for brains.  _ That _ is why I’m here.” She turned back towards the open door, gesturing for the four of them to follow her. “Get off your buts, grab your weapons, and follow me. You’ve  _ got _ to see  _ this _ !”

The baffled descendants of the Dark Knight Sparda all looked at one another before silently objecting in some way shape or form and then obliging her. At the very least, they needed to see what she was talking about. And by the sounds of that boom, it sure as hell was  _ something _ . One could only hope that it was worth their time. And Nico rarely disappointed them.

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! That was an awful lot, wasn’t it! I like these long chapters though. And I especially like writing them after I have to deal with stupid stuff. Serves as a great distraction from the reality of the fact that I still live in this capitalistic hellhole. But that’s neither here nor there. I hope to see you in the comics! And as always, I hope you had a good day! I’ve had a few people use the form already, but I’d love it if you went and checked it out! I’ve compiled quite the list! See you in the comment section! Bye-bye!


	15. Chapter 15: Acquaintance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: I don’t normally do anything for Valentine’s Day, but I might write something for it this year. IDK since I have no ideas. It’s not my kind of day. But I thought it might be a fun challenge, so here we are. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. It was a new kind of challenge for me. More on that later in the endnotes!

Chapter fifteen: Acquaintance

-~-

In truth, there had been no specific set of expectations placed upon the situation that they now found themselves in. none of them were entirely sure what they’d expected to find when they exited the house and walked along the path that led through the front lawn to the front gate that inclosed the small front yard, but it sure as hell hadn’t been what they found. In such trying times, that was one thing that was for certain.

Flames rained down from the sky as the intrepid group of devil hunters forged a path forwards up the street, remnants of a distant encounter of some sort that seemed to be a few blocks away. From this distance, all they could see was smoke and charred trees, all they could smell was the distinct sulfurous scent of the underworld; all they could feel was the burning heat that only fire left in its wake. looks of perplexion and mild amusement adorning their faces as they strode forward. Yes, something cataclysmic had certainly occurred during their time inside of Matier’s cozy abode. They hadn’t noticed any of this whatsoever. Whatever this was, it was eventful, and it might be the perfect distraction from the matter at hand.

But what had caused this incredible set of circumstances to occur in the first place? This entire situation was entirely irregular, to say the least. Even from the distance that they currently were from it, they could feel the change in the atmosphere. A great deal of power was being discharged in whatever battle was waging ahead of them, and they couldn’t pinpoint its origin. But perhaps the most incredible thing was that there didn’t seem to be any notable property damage. No, the encounter, whatever it was, seemed to be contained in some way. The entire little village that they found themselves in would have burned down by then if that wasn’t the case.

“So Vergil, you spent, what, literally forever in the underworld, right? You ever seen something like whatever this is?” Nico asked as she attempted to keep pace with the rest of the group. She was out of breath, and running wasn’t something that she did if she could avoid it, especially in a hot, humid climate like the one that they were in. That being said, she didn’t want to miss a second of the action if she could help it.

The devil slayer in blue glanced over at her, more or less neutral to the inquiry. Yes, he had indeed spent “literally forever” down there. There was no need to remind him. But he could only assume that the young woman had meant her comment in a non-malicious way. She had no reason to pick a fight with someone who could easily end her life. Perhaps it was just her misguided way of breaking the ice.

“Now that you mention it… no, I don’t believe that I have.” The reality of that realization suddenly dawned on Vergil as they forged a path forward. The Darkslayer drew his weapon and readied himself for a fight, unwilling to simply walk into what could possibly be a trap. Nico wouldn’t willingly walk them into one, but the situation could still be beyond her scope of expertise. And besides, having Yamato at the ready was probably be the best decision he could make when going up against an unfamiliar and more than likely deadly force. He wasn’t going to make it too easy on his opponent.

Dante shrugged, pulling his blade from his back in preparation for the battle that they were probably walking into. “Beats me! I’ve never seen anything quite like this, either. It’s kinda familiar, but not really, and I still can’t place what could be causing it.”

Much to their surprise, Nico snickered slightly at the statement. “Oh, believe me, your gonna see what’s causing. That’s why I came and got ya in the first place! I needed ya to see this for yourself. It’s pretty wild!”

“So am I the only one who wasn’t to know why the sky is on fire? Because I feel like that might be pretty important.” Nero said as he readied Blue Rose. It was the bare minimum of presumptive action that he could take against a possible sneak attack, and the last thing he wanted to do was get torn in half by some random demon. Not only would it be a lame way to die, but it would also keep him from finding out what the hell was going on.

“Yes, your quite right, Nero. The sky isn’t normally on fire. A rather astute observation, if I do say so myself. And it certainly doesn’t help me breathe any easier.” A familiar voice said as they passed him from behind, leaving nothing more than a blur or dark energy as they passed. Nero gave V an unamused look as he hovered past him, the shorter-haired man clearly not pleased that he had to run while V could simply float along the ground effortlessly. That wasn’t to say that he blamed him, though. If he has such an ability, Nero was certain that he too would abuse it in every possible way. Riding Punchline was by far one of the highlights of his day whenever he was afforded the opportunity.

As the group neared the trees, they caught sight of something that waylaid them slightly. Standing just to the side of their destination was a familiar face that Dante was positive that he hadn’t seen in far too long. A small dagger flew past Dante’s head and into the tree behind him as stepped forward, catching sight of the group of demons that had gathered around in a hopeless attempt at actually standing much of a chance against their opponent. But that wouldn’t do them any good. While she might not be quite as powerful as he was, Lucia was far from a pushover, and a few worthless Puia, Demonochorus, and Msira didn’t stand a chance against her. As if to prove his point, she threw a volley of blades at the last remaining wave of them, knocking them dead to the floor as she withdrew her curved blades from the remains of a Savage Golem that had made the fatal mistake of thinking it could take her on in close quarters combat.

Vergil raised an eyebrow as she approached them, noting the finer points of what little of her fighting style he’d be able to see. While he himself used smaller blades as a primary element of his fighting style, actually throwing them was another matter entirely. It took great skill to be able to hit your target so consistently, and to do so with such speed? She was rather impressive, wasn’t she? He wondered for a moment what he had expected her to do when he’d finally met her, but it seemed that whatever expectations he’d previously possessed had been subverted, even if he didn’t really know what those expectations were. It wasn’t every day that something like that happened.

The instant that the demon was dead and she had holstered her twin blades, Lucia jogged over to them, using her left hand to toss her long red braid over her shoulder as she came to a stop in front of Dante. Despite the fact that she’d just finished a battle, a pleasant, if not shy smile spread across her face. “Dante… Matier told me you’d come back around. What are you…”

She trailed off for a second as she caught sight of the rest of the group, noticing for the first time how many new people she’d never seen before were there, especially the ones with white hair. Her eyes drifted over to Vergil as he approached, V and Nero coming from behind their father and around to meet her. Was this the guardian that Dante had told them so much about? If so, they were somewhat surprised. For whatever reason, both Nero and V had collectively figured that she was an older woman like Matier. She didn’t’ seem significantly older than they were. Probably around Lady and Trish’s age, possibly even slightly younger. It was hard to say by just looking at her. What they could say, however, was that so far, she seemed far too nice to be one of Dante’s friends. After all, she hadn’t shot or stabbed him yet. What a welcome change of pace!

After a moment of staring in quiet confusion at Vergil, Lucia turned back towards Dante. She looked at the devil hunter in red for a second, her brow furrowing slightly as though she didn’t understand something. She tilted her head to one side, clearly considering something. A moment later she looked at Vergil again, this time stepping back to get a better look at both of them. And just like that, something clicked. 

“Oh… I see. That makes sense. Very interesting.” She turned her gaze towards Dante, folding her arms and she glared at him playfully. If she’s been closer, she might have even nudged him, but that was a longshot. “Why didn’t you tell me you were identical twins, Dante?! That’s incredible! You told me about your brother but…”

Lucia slowly stopped talking as she noticed that Vergil was folding his arms and turning to give his twin a dirty look, the younger of the two giving her a look as if to plead with her to stop talking. While the lovely redhead wasn’t privy to what was going on, she was smart enough to be able to tell that it was probably a complicated matter between her longtime friend and his twin brother, and that she didn’t want to get involved. If the tension alone was anything to go by, it might not end very well for her. Best to revisit that topic later when it was just her and Dante and the two of them were not in the same location. After all, she’d heard from down the grapevine that they didn’t always get along.

V peered around his father’s back, wrangling Shadow as he ended his use of the demonic feline. She was an invaluable asset, especially in regards to travel, but there was no reason to use her when they were standing still. Best to let her rest just in case things took a turn. Though going off of his experience with the young woman that they had just ran into, he couldn’t imagine that it would. From what he could tell, she seemed kind.

“Sorry about that. It’s not my business, is it? Forgive me.” Lucia blushed slightly, clearly embarrassed. She’d only been talking to him for a minute or two, and she’d already managed to find a way to get herself tongue-tied and into a situation that she didn’t particularly wish to be in. How did this always happen? “My name is Lucia. I’m one of the guardians of Vei Du Marlin. I hope you’ve enjoyed your stay so far. Sorry for the wait.”

As if to protest against her polite statement, another loud explosion ricochet across the space behind them, this time the vibration it caused was enough to stagger them, nearly causing V to stumble and fall over due to the sheer force of it. Nero reached for his brother in an attempt to steady him, but the older of the two politely waved him off. There was no need. Thankfully he hadn’t actually fallen down. The problem was that V’s center of balance left much to be desired. Lucia noticed his unsteady state and gave him a concerned look, drawing attention from the rest of the group as she did so. V sighed quietly under his breath, cursing his entire equilibrium for being so easily swayed.

“I’m fine. Truly. It’s just that whatever that was threw me off.” V glanced back towards the source of the explosion before turning back to her, intreuged.” Normally I tend to notice strange things such as that a moment or so before they occur because I  _ do _ have eyes and I  _ can  _ see them, but we have no visibility from where we currently are. As such, I can’t really brace myself for impact. And whatever small amount of foresight I tend to possess has seemingly abandoned me. It’s unfortunate, but I’ll manage.”

Lucia nodded, seeming to understand his plight. “Oh, I understand. That makes sense. My mother needs assistance when she walks these days as well. She’s elderly, you see. Your balance being a little off is absolutely understandable if you walk with a cane.”

V considered elaborating for a moment, but he couldn’t will himself to do so. For whatever reason, he found himself tongue-tied in a manner that was unfamiliar to him. It was rare that he couldn’t think of a single thing to say, yet here he was, at a total loss for words. He wanted to say that it was simply because of the fact that he didn’t know what to say to such a polite, understanding, and accommodating response, but there was a part of him that subconsciously registered that there was more to it than that. He just didn’t know how to put it into words. And that was exceedingly strange to him. Maybe he was just worn out from his long conversation with Nero, Dante, and Vergil?

“Nice meeting you, Lucia. I’m Nero. Dante’s nephew. The frigid jerk in the blue coat is my dad, Vergil. He’s not  _ so  _ bad once you get used to him.” Nero said politely, trying his best to break the strange tension that had formed between V and the young guardian. He’d never seen V look so dumbfounded and lost before in his life, and it was as amusing as it was deeply confusing and strange. But regardless, they needed to figure out what was going on here. “This one’s my brother. I swear, he normally talks more. Not a lot more, but still. It’s something.”

V seemed to catch onto the fact that he was, in fact, acting deeply strange. He cleared his throat, looking down at the ground for a moment as if doing so would clear his head somehow. Suddenly he felt incredibly embarrassed, and he couldn’t even find a place to start as to why. What the hell was wrong with him? “You can call me V. it’s a pleasure to meet you, Lucia. What seems to be the trouble?”

She smiled slightly, a pleasant look that was reflected in her eyes in a way that told him it was genuine and not artificial friendliness to help break the ice between them. She pointed towards the woods, shrugging slightly as an exasperated look crossed her face. Despite the fact that she’d seen what had happened, that didn’t mean that it made any more sense to her than it did to anyone else. “Your companion came to assist me. A strange, large demon attacked while I was dispatching the lesser ones, and he lured it over there. I’ve been too busy dealing with these ones to go and see what became of him, but the fire doesn’t seem good, does it?”

Nero glanced over in the direction of the woods. He had to agree with her. “No, it doesn’t seem very good, does it? We should probably go and check it out. Ya know, see if he need any help. How big was this demon?”

The red-haired guardian gestured with both of her hands before withdrawing her blades, something catching her eye behind them. She took a defensive stance, motioning with her head towards the woods on the other side of the street. “Massive. But I think we might have company on the way. It seems that all this commotion had attracted unwanted attention.” 

She gestured in the direction of the large precession of demons that were now charging them, their heads lowered and their horns positioned to strike. It was a group that consisted of several varieties of goat and Finis demons and, from what he could tell, there were about two dozen of them. Each variety was present and accounted for, and they seemed eager and willing to attack. That didn’t surprise the devil hunter in red in the slightest. They always had been in his experience, especially the damn goat demons. But that didn’t change anything. He’d faced them before, and he would face them again.

Dante chuckled slightly, remembering the first time that he’d faced a member of the goat clan. They were always a fun time, but he didn’t really have the opportunity at the moment to give them the time that he would have liked to. Right now wasn’t the best time to pick a fight with a giant overgrown flaming goat, but they were going to have to take them down nonetheless. And then they needed to figure out where Sirrus was and fast before things got out of hand. If nothing else, flaming debris falling from the sky might catch something on fire. And the last thing they needed was to be even partially responsible for yet another destroyed town. Enough was enough for one lifetime. Or at least one year… 

“Alright then, let’s take care of these posers and go see what’s got the big guy so riled up. Think we can do that  _ before _ the entire neighborhood burns down?” Dante said playfully as they readied themselves to meet their opponents head-on. Each of his companions gave him an affirming nod, even Nico who had no intention of getting into this fight. She didn’t even have a weapon, but she was going to hang back and see what she could do to help. Maybe going to check on what was going on in the woods was a good idea? Regardless, they were ready to meet their opponents head-on, and as the foolish creatures charged them head-on, they decided to meet them in the middle.

The entire company of devil hunters surged forward, ready to take down these pathetic excuses for demons and get to the real challenge. The poor creatures wouldn’t live to regret the day that they stumbled across the entirety of their family. After all, descendants of Sparda didn’t suffer demons to live, and there were a lot of demons here asking for a good murdering. Not a single one was going to make it out of here alive if any of them had anything to say about it. Especially with the mood that Vergil was in today. That had been their first and last mistake.

-~-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. I did all of this week’s writing in one night. What the hell is wrong with me? Anyway, Lucia is hard for me to write, so I hope I did okay! I’ve never written anything with her in it before, despite how much I love her! Head to the comments and recommend me some fics with her in it to read! I need to learn her mannerisms, although I think I might have gotten a few of them at least half right. Thanks for all the support, and I’ll see you all next week. Well, except for the little valentines day short that I might write for Saudade sometime soon, but you know what I mean XD
> 
> See you in the comments!


	16. Chapter 16: Absolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: This was a fun chapter to write. Would have been funnier if I hadn’t looked up and realized that it was 10:35 am and I hadn’t been to sleep yet, but that’ what happens when you start at like 5 am. Anyway, at least I have power and I got my tax return today. Every cloud!

Chapter Sixteen: Absolution

(-~-)

Sirrus had always hated desk work. It was a dull drudgery of office politics, debauchery, and self-indulgent toxic sabotage over nothing in particular just to get in the good books of a group of misinformed members of upper management who couldn’t care less either way. The sheer monotony of the entire exchange was enough to make one crave the sweet embrace of death. But fieldwork… oh, fieldwork was where he flourished. 

It had been a substantial amount of time since he’d gotten to stand up out of this ergonomic chair and really stretch his wings a little. He was going to cherish this. It was the thrill of the chase that he found so alluring. The opportunity to discharge one’s power in the form of a battle, especially against a strong opponent, was one that he would rarely turn down, regardless of the stakes or the reasons involved. Call it bloodlust, a fatal flaw in his programming, or simply arrogance. He couldn’t be bothered to keep up with the growing list of insults levied against him or even attempt to find the part of him that cared enough to remember them. At the end of the day, what he did was in service to the greater good and to the benefit of the very people who would so quickly cast him aside.

Unfortunately, that was the life of an Adjudicator. You served as judge, jury, and executioner as much as you were a victim of the same mindset. Every action he took had consequences, even the ones he didn’t take or choose. That was simply the curse of his position. And that was the very reason why despite that being his career, he didn’t indulge in any such activities. They didn’t get to the root of these kinds of problems, and they most certainly didn’t present a meaningful solution to these kinds of issues. 

But what he was doing to this demon right now?  _ That _ was progress. At least, as far as he was concerned. He only wished that the wretched creature hadn’t taken things so far.

Dodging what would have been a well-placed strike from the gigantic beast’s axe, he stepped back and took a moment to get a better look at it. From what he had learned in the last few minutes or so, the creature took a moment to lift the heavy instrument that it desired to use against him, and that would be its undoing. Standing at the height of a small office building, the colossal flaming minotaur brandished its large axe, hot, vengeful blue flames overflowing from its putrid maw. The entire space that they occupied reeked of sulfur and despair, but Sirrus was unmoved, at least for the most part. While he had never faced this particular opponent, that was what he found so interesting. He’d seen members of demon families before during his studies, and was somewhat certain that he’d seen a red version of this same demon that brandished a colossal hammer, but he’d never seen a member of the goat Clan this large. Did it even count? The last time he’d checked, a bull wasn’t a goat. But it had been a while since he’d done so, and maybe demons just worked a little bit differently. Whatever the case may be, he could worry about that after he struck it dead. He was in no hurry, and it didn’t seem to be either.

With a petulant, almost scornful flick of his long black coat, Sirrus faced the creature head-on, folding his arms across his chest in a manner not entirely dissimilar to that of a disappointed parent. There was no sign of anything even remotely close to fear or concern on his face. Perhaps mild amusement, but nothing more. 

“I would explain to you why it isn’t a very good idea to challenge me, but I don’t believe you possess the necessary intelligence to discern what I’m even saying to you right now.” He shook his head, chuckling darkly under his breath. Demons were fascinating creatures, but the lesser variants were simply stupefyingly unintelligent. “But no matter, my friend. You don’t need to. I speak your language. And besides, there’s no need to provide you with anything meaningful to take back to your masters in hell. Your swift departure will be enough.”

The towering creature gave him an almost confused look, its blank expression a clear indicator that it was both more intelligent than he might have first thought, but still thoroughly stupid. It clasped its huge axe in its hands, tapping it against its palm for a moment before bending over and snorting flames hot enough to turn his skin to ash and melt his eyes out of his skull. His hood fell off and his hair blew backward, but he was otherwise unaffected. This only seemed to irritate the demon further as it stood up and snarled in discontent, brandishing its axe yet again.

“You seem incensed. Perhaps I was mistaken in regards to your intellect. At least you can tell when you’re making a fool out of yourself. That’s more than I can say for myself at times.” He shook his head playfully, reaching back to loosen his coat.  _ Yes, it seemed that it was still there. Right where he’d left it _ . “But it matters not. Words have little merit in these sorts of situations. Only  _ might _ has the will to shape the course of our actions now. And if you’re looking for a foe to square up against, then I welcome the challenge, in spite of how meager, meaningless, and short it will turn out to be.”

As if it perfectly understood his adamant dismissal of its strength, the demon roared, rattling the space around it. The temporary barrier that he’d erected around them shuttered, but it failed to falter, much to the relief of its creator. Yes, it was probably best that he actually  _ kill _ the demon now before it was able to find a way over the tall walls it was surrounded by and make its escape. Or worse, the barrier could come crashing down, allowing flames several times hotter than any structure was built to withstand to come into contact with the simple wooden buildings that surrounded the area. This needed to end here and now before things got out of control. Enough posturing.

“I would appreciate it if you could hold still for a moment. That would make things substantially easier.” The redhead said as he shrugged out of one arm of his coat, the open button flaps and upper part of the garment only held in place by his remaining sleeved arm and the zipper that stretched up the length of his torso. The wind whipped around them both as he withdrew his blade, the think piece of metal gleaming in the bright light as he ran his hand down the length of the blade, coating it with a thin layer of vibrant purple flame. There would be no need to use any more of this power than necessary. One strike with a flame this hot would be more than enough to end a battle like this. And just when things were starting to become interesting. What a shame… 

Sensing the shift in the air around it, the demon attempted to strike him as he was preparing his attack, hoping to take him off guard. Instead, its axe came crashing down around him, the segment closest to the very top of its head cut clean through by a knowing strike from its advisory. The stray blade crashed through the barrier and cartwheeled out of sight, tearing through the thin segment of woodlands as it left his line of sight. Sirrus shook his head, somehow just  _ knowing _ that it was going to hit something it wasn’t supposed to. One could only hope that its owner ceased to exist before it was able to do anything substantial in regards to damage to the surrounding area. All the more reason to get this over and done with quickly. 

He surged forward, using the demon’s residual discharged flames to increase the range of his own, burning them like fuel in a furnace. He leaped towards the demon’s head and, with one well-placed, forceful jab, the long blade pierced the demon’s thick hyde, destroying it from within. Even a demon this hot couldn’t withstand such a powerful piercing blow from within its own body. Unfortunately for it, its internal organs were not nearly as resistant to heat as its flaming fur-covered epidermis was. What a shame.

Upon facing such a powerful and decisive mortal blow, the creature buckled, crashing towards the ground on its knees and letting out lose an ear-shattering, gurgle-filled death screech, a startled and pained expression upon its contorted face. It then fell forward, dropping what was left of its weapon onto the ground and allowing it to turn to ash as the demon suddenly began to cool off, omitting a large cloud of white vapor and smoke. It was as if it were a blade being quenched in cold water, or a hot flame subjected to liquid nitrogen. But as the life left it, so did the very last of its flames, the beast exhaling one final time before going totally still like a fragile stone statue. Sirrus approached the now deceased beast and used a single finger to poke it, the gesture causing a crack to form in it than then progressed into a network of thin spiderweb hair cracks. Within moments, it crumbled to the ground in a sad mixture of ash and dust, the once towering behemoth now nothing more than charcoal. What an undignified ending to something so impressive.

But just as quickly as the fight had ended, he sensed the presence of something more. Turning to face what he assumed to be another opponent, he came face to face with a familiar set of devil hunters, the small group wearing a colorful variety of expressions upon their faces. Oh, they had seen him do all of that, hadn’t they? Well, this was going to take some explaining.

(-~-)

None of them had come there expecting to fight demonic goats in the center of town any more than they had expected to  _ see _ an army of demonic goats, but here they were, doing just that. Nero kicked one of the foolish creatures as he pulled his blade from within another one of its kind, tossing a wayward glance over towards the rest of the group. Dante was making short work of one of the short golem creatures with his shotgun, and Vergil has just knocked one of the flying goat beasts out of the sky before plummeting downwards towards its form above, cleaving it in two. 

Much to the dismay of one of the other golem creatures, Shadow had just taken the liberty of biting off half of its body before swallowing it, a spectacle that Griffon didn’t seem to agree with in the slightest. In fact, he seemed rather revolted to be covered in the sticky blue and black substance that they oozed when injured. And for that crime he electrocuted it a second time, flapping frantically as it flopped over uselessly on the ground, its spilled guts pooling below it as it faded away.

“V, why do you have to invite me to this kind of crap. Unlike you, I have standards. Do you have any idea how long it’s going to take for me to pick all of this sticky blue gunk out of my feathers? Ages! It’s going to take ages!” The plucky bird stole a momentary glance at Shadow, horror apparent in his face (somehow) as he realized that his feline companion was in the process of chewing up and devouring what was left of her target. The slimy mess that it made as she did so was as revolting to look at as it was to listen to. “Oh, Shirly, why would you eat that? What kind of cat does something like that? Your gonna be coughing up chunks of that thing with your furballs for months, ya know that? Your basically eating glue! How many times do I have to tell you not to eat shit like this?! V, say something to already!”

Much to the demonic avian’s despair, V was preoccupied at the moment. Simply keeping his eyes trained on this many moving targets and assessing who was doing battle against what was a monumental task in of itself. He’d never attempted to fight so many foes before, especially in the company of so many other devil hunters. It was strangely exhilarating, but equally exhausting, and he wasn’t sure what to make of it. In truth, he was slightly turned around by the sheer amount of commotion, but his past experiences were enough to reassure him. As long as he kept his head and stayed calm, nothing bad should-

“Wait, what the fuck is  _ that _ ?!” A familiar woman’s voice shouted from a few yards away. V turned to face Nico, curious as to what had caught the mechanic’s eye. Hadn’t she just left a moment ago? And what was she talking about?

“Did you have a change of heart and turn back before it was too late?” Nero asked almost sarcastically, joining V in his surprised state. Neither of them could understand what she was still there. After all, just a few moments ago, she had decided to go into the forest to see what was going on. But before either of them could say anything else, the loud thudding that they had once completely ignored suddenly occurred to them. Within seconds, a large slab of razor-sharp metal came tumbling through the town square, tearing up the cobblestone pavement in large chunks and flattening an entire row of hapless demons as it crashed into the large fountain that sat in the middle of the plaza. Vergil jumped back out of the way of the blade, but still found himself wet, the water somehow managing to soak him in spite of his best efforts. But at least he hadn’t been cut in half by… whatever this was supposed to be.

As if one cue, Dante finished off the demon that he was fighting and turned to face the scene that had drawn everyone’s attention. Lucia pulled both of her elegant blades out of what remained of the last two goat demons as they tumbled to the ground lifelessly, disintegrating a moment later. A few throwing daggers made short work of the final golem before she holstered her blades and opted to join them, the group slowly gathering around the van-sized chunk of razor-sharp metal that had destroyed the central plaza. And yet, somehow the sight of this gargantuan piece of metal was secondary to the absolutely furious look on Vergil’s face. The majority of them would have laughed at how disheveled and grumpy he looked if they weren’t certain that he would probably stab them. And the sudden realization that he did, in fact, look just like his identical twin was somehow physically shocking to basically everyone present who wasn’t Dante himself. Something just wasn’t right about seeing him with his hair like that.

What the hell is  _ this _ .” Dante said as he gestured towards the hunk of broken steel, clearly as amused as he was out of the loop. A quick glance over at his twin revealed his less than desirable state, and despite the obvious risk to his health and safety, Dante simply couldn’t help himself. He knew full well how much Vergil hated when his hair did that, and his hatred of being soaking wet was perhaps second only to his hatred of having unwanted social interaction sprung on him without a moment’s notice. “Oh, hey Vergil. I like the new haircut! Copying my look, are ya? Well, it’s about time. It’s a good look if I do say so myse-”

Before he could answer, he found himself impaled to the ground with Yamato, looking up towards the sky on his back as his head and body tried to physically reorientate themselves. He’d ended up where he was so rapidly that his center of balance physically couldn’t cope with the travel time. The only way that that could have happened in the way that it had was if Vergil had actually  _ thrown _ Yamato at his younger twin as if it were a javelin, and the youngest son of the Dark Knight Sparda found that both impressive  _ and _ unsettling. It was an extraordinary savage response to something so benign, but it was still somewhat amusing to know that Vergil had become that savage as he’d grown older. It seemed that while he himself had grown calmer as he’d aged, his normally placid twin had done precisely the opposite. They were like the north and south pole: predestined to oppose one another, regardless of their orbit as if purely to spite one another. How very poetic and ironic.

Seemingly sensing the change in the atmosphere around himself, Vergil gave a knowing glance back at V. The young summoner stood with his arms folded, cane in hand, and an unamused look on his face. Nero seemed equally miffed, but somehow still managed to look less intimidating than his slightly older sibling, the older of the pair’s accompanying summons also sharing in the act of giving him side-eye. Much to their collective despair, Nico irrupted into hysterical laughter, pointing and laughing at Dante as she attempted to compose herself.

“Holy shit, how’d he even do that so fast?!” She said, nearly choking as she coughed, covering her mouth with her hand and bending over. “I’m sorry, Dante, but holy  _ goddamn,  _ that looked like it hurt! I’m willin’ to bet your gonna feel that one in the monrin’! Why do you get yourself into this kinda crap? You knew damn well he was gonna do that! Anyone with eyes could see it, and you’re his twin brother for cryin’ out loud!”

Chuckling slightly, Griffon landed on V’s head, nearly toppling him over. “I mean, missy’s right though. He had to see that one coming. I don’t even feel bad for him. Nope, it’s plain old comedy. That’s all there is to it!”

Nero shook his head, shooting both Nico and Griffon a dirty look. “Guys, don’t be like that! Stop encouraging him! We need him to _stop_ stabbing people when he gets pissed off. We’re never gonna get anywhere at this rate!” Nero gestured towards his older sibling and then craned his neck towards the large blue demonic bird as if to signal to him to look at Griffon despite the fact that he was sitting on his head and entirely out of his line of sight. Come on, V. You tell him! He’s your bird or whatever.”

The white-haired Summoner shrugged nebulously, closing his eyes as if he suddenly felt a migraine coming on just from having to be there. “Nero… I don’t have the mental energy to babysit Griffon all day. It’s exhausting enough just being  _ myself _ .” He sighed, suddenly exhausted by every present member of his family. They were a special type of insane at times. Okay, at all times. “I agree with your sentiments, but my point stands. A better use of our time would be to go and see what became of that Adjudicator. The sky isn’t on fire anymore, and I feel he might have something to do with what just happened to the fountain. By this point, Dante should be adept at removing blades from his chest. It comes with the territory, what with him being our father’s brother and all.”

Griffon snickered. “That must be one hell of a special type of lifelong learning experience, eh V? My working theory is that while they both heal physically from their wounds, their brains don’t. So all those head injuries must be getting to Dante by this point. I mean, he is pretty old, and you must be crazy to keep doing dumb stuff like that that he knows will get him killed eventually.”

Dante attempted to sit up, but the sword wouldn’t let him do so all the way. “Hey, shut it bird. I’m not  _ that _ old. Vergil’s the one with grandkids! Your not old until your someone’s granddad.”

Lucia shook her head and folded her arms, clearly done with both of them and their collective shenanigans. Yes, they were most certainly twins. It all made perfect sense now. “But if he’s old, that means you are as well, Dante. Did you forget that you twins? You’re the same exact age. That’s not how that works. That’s not how  _ any of this _ works.”

He stared at her blankly for a moment, an unreadable look on his face. He looked almost as if he had been profoundly betrayed in some sort of way, but it was honestly difficult to tell. “... Why did you have to go there, Lucia? I trusted you. I thought we were friends. Your supposed to have my back, ya know?” 

Vergil smirked momentarily. Yes, he was starting to like this young woman. She was far too intelligent and well-mannered to be one of Dante’s companions. He simply didn’t understand it. “Not siring offspring doesn’t mean that you’re not going to age, Brother. Your young friend simply comprehends the concept of basic biology and possesses a monochrome of sense. It’s something you wouldn’t know much about.”

Dante looked at them blankly for a moment before shaking his head and removing Yamato from his chest. Despite everything, that sword never hurt less when he got stabbed with it. “I’m never going to understand how you got two different women to sleep with you, Vergil. But whatever. Let’s see what the hell happened in the woods.

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And just like that, I’ve somehow written eight more pages of this fic. I stepped out to go get something for 5 minutes, only to return to find that my pc and rebooted due to a BSOD error. It’s been one of those days. Anyway, see you on Friday, and thanks for reading this chapter!


	17. Chapter 17: Regulation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Sorry the upload was a little late today. I was out of town at Microcenter trying to get a GODDAMN GRAPHICS CARD!! Ahem… sorry about that. I think you might all like where this story is going to go from here. Oh boy, do I have some ideas… 

Chapter Seventeen: Regulation

(-~-)

In truth, no one present was entirely sure what to make of the scene that they had just happened upon. While they had indeed just witnessed it, there was no easy way to actually explain it. The gigantic demonic minotaur had collapsed and was already beginning the process of becoming ash, something that they welcomed, especially considering the fact that none of them had been available to actually attempt to assist with stopping the creature’s rampage. But that was the very root of the issue.

How on earth had this intrepid stranger managed to actually do battle against such a large for on his own?

While the concept of another hunter being able to take on something beyond the classification of a lesser demon was not at all unfamiliar to them, this was something else entirely. At first glance, the quiet stranger that they had allowed to tag along on their trip with them didn't seem at all capable of doing what he had just done. If nothing else, they had assumed that he possessed some basic combat abilities. Perhaps enough to protect himself. But this… to be able to harness and wield that kind of strength… 

"This is curious. To my knowledge, the Ludwig Family doesn’t have any devil hunters among their ranks. And they never have." Vergil said as he stepped forward, an intrigued look on his face. While it was true that the Ludwig family were practitioners of a variety of combat types and had been for the entirety of their existence, he had never seen one use the type of power that the redhead had just utilized, and  _ never _ to the degree that he could use it. Clearly, he was proficient at a level that exceeded that of the average user, and that was something that Vergil found both fascinating given his initial impressions of the young stranger, and alarming. Normally he was better at gauging the power level of his opponents. Sirrus had flown  _ way  _ below his radar.

“You’re not mistaken. They do not.” Sirrus said calmly, sheathing his gleaming blade once again. While it was unclear precisely where he’d actually drawn it from, what was clear was that it had come from within his coat, and he had just returned it to its rightful resting place. But how he had managed to walk around with a blade that easily equaled the length of Yamato on him without alerting anyone to its presence was beyond any of them. Did he have access to a pocket dimension of some sort? Was their lack of interest in his capabilities what had kept them from simply not noticing it? Because if so, they needed to keep their guard up a bit better than that in the future.

An almost questioning look passed across Dante’s face as he seemed to take in the response of their new companion. Suddenly he realized that he truly didn’t know very much about him, and he found it more than a little bit disconcerting that he hadn’t really put much thought into the possibility of him posing a threat to him. The last intrepid stranger who had happened upon him in such a manner had been V, and before a few other names came to mind. Trish, Lady, Lucia… hell, even Beryl fell into that category easily enough! How many times was he going to have to learn this lesson?

“If that’s the case, then how do you know how to do… whatever that just was? And where’d ya learn to do it in the first place?” Dante interjected, noting Vergil’s silence. One could only assume that he was considering something, but despite the fact that silence was a trademark of his stoic older twin’s personality, that didn’t mean that he had ever been particularly comfortable with it. Left alone to his own devices, Vergil’s mind was just as deadly a weapon as his blade or any other ability or armament that he possessed. And if he wasn’t plotting the demise of someone or something, he was probably lingering in a sort of stasis, fixating on some lingering regret or other toxic thought. It was best to not let him idle for very long, lest he come to regret it

The man in black adjusted his coat, sliding his arm back into the long sleeve that it had once occupied. It was best that he do so, lest he accidentally allow his favorite garment to drag along the ash-covered ground. It was so incredibly difficult to get demonic ash out of this kind of material. “A reasonable enough question. And one I shall answer. But can we do it while we head back to your friend’s house? The air here had become rather unpleasant, and I’d like to stop having to breathe it. Methane and sulfur and all that. It’s bad for our lungs.”

Nero considered scoffing at the statement for a brief moment before thinking better of himself. It was best not to antagonize him, at least not until he knew how to do it without ending up cut in half or impaled like that demon. A quick glance over at V was all that it took to see that he was not alone in this assessment. The taller summoner seemed to be deep in thought, not that he wasn’t in most instances. But something about the look on his face had changed in some subtle way, and he was sure now that he was not the only one with doubts and concerns. In truth, Sirrus was still smack dab in the middle of his “suspect as hell” list, but now he was starting to wonder if he was asking the wrong questions. That didn’t mean, however, that he couldn’t ask a simple question. After all, what harm could that do?

“Okay, that makes sense. But then who the hell are you?” Nero said calmly but with an obvious tinge of unamused irritation on his face. He wasn’t sure he knew what to think of him at this point, and while he didn’t exactly perceive him as a threat, the fact that he hadn’t informed them that he possessed that kind of power made him slightly uneasy. Or maybe in some small ways he had. After all, Sirrus’s calm demeanor in most threatening situations should have tipped him off as a possible indicator of this kind of power, but Nero had no way of knowing for sure. But he wouldn’t put it past him to play those sorts of games with them. He just seemed odd in that kind of way.

Sirrus shrugged nebulously at the comment as it if didn’t affect him much or he had been asked the question before enough times to have expected it. “Again, I have next to nothing against telling you, but not here. I simply don’t desire to linger here any longer than I must. It isn’t ideal.”

Life rarely was, as far as Vergil was concerned, but he was willing to accommodate his request if for no other reason than the fact that after such a long time in the underworld, the scent of sulfurous gas and the presence of ash in the air around them hit far to close to home. He had enjoyed a reprieve from such foul substances for a few weeks now, and he was not at all eager to reintroduce himself to them. Leaving would, in fact, be best for more than one reason.

Very well, then. That is agreeable.” The eldest Son of Sparda said as he turned in the direction that they had come from, somewhat unsurprised to find that he could still see the road from here. The fountain was going to make a wonderful mess of that plaza soon enough, but at least the piece of metal from the demon bull’s fallen weapon had dissipated. The less evidence of their presence here, the better. “But let’s make haste. Something is entirely off about this situation, and I do not desire to be at the mercy of its wrath any longer than I must be.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Sirrus said simply before following the white-haired half-devil in the blue coat. Thankfully they didn’t seem eager to put up much of a fuss about it, and there was a simple explanation for what he had done. Well, at least it was simple for him.  _ Nothing _ was simple when it came to his life, and this was no exception, but at least it was one of the few questions that he could easily answer that wouldn’t have catastrophic consequences outside of his control.

(-~-)

The walk back had been uneventful and quick, so nothing of any particular note had even a scrap of hope of occurring. Before any of them could even begin to think of where to start or fire up the part of their brain that existed to do critical thinking, they had arrived back at Lucia and Matier’s shared home, and more importantly, at the shared realization that it would be easier to just have this conversation  _ at _ the house instead of on the way to it.

“Alright then, we’re here. So what’s the deal, then? How are you able to do all that?” Dante asked as he reclined on the couch. Lucia’s place had some very comfortable furniture, and he was more than happy to capitalize on the opportunity to enjoy it. It was nice to sit back and relax a little bit sometimes. “I’m not that good with magic or whatever you’d call that, but I’ve never seen a human use that kind of power.”

Lucia stepped forward as she closed the front door to the living room, allowing the door to close before she spoke. The fewer interruptions, the better. At least as far as she was concerned. And while she knew next to nothing about this stranger, what was going on, it what was even going on in the first place, she did know what he was curious as to what he could do. And if he was willing to explain himself to them, then it was probably best to take him up on his offer and allow him to actually tell them what was going on.

“Perhaps we’re just asking the wrong questions.” She said politely as she entered the living room and found a place to sit. There were a lot more people here than she was used to, but she didn’t particularly mind given the circumstances. In fact, she was almost glad that everyone seemed to be so comfortable in her small home. It was a welcome change of pace. “Maybe it isn’t about  _ how  _ he did that, but more about  _ what  _ he did and what he’d have to be in order to do it.

A soft sigh escaped Sirrus’s lips as he glanced over at her. Yes, she was as smart as she was pretty, wasn’t she? That was good to know. For all he knew, her intellect and perceptive nature might come in handy in the near future. “Your quite right. I’m a member of the Ludwig family through marriage. Or more accurately, through a divorce. Two of them each, actually.” His facial expression changed slightly for a moment as though he were recalling an unpleasant memory. After a moment, he continued despite the fact that something about his demeanor had changed. He was so reserved in the first place that it was hard to pinpoint what had changed, but something had indeed done so. “But regardless, I do not possess the limitations that many of them do in regards to their power as a result. I do apologize for not volunteering to tell you what was going on sooner, but I think you can understand the desire to not expose yourself to those that you do not know, especially you’ve not yet had a reason. I think that everyone like us desires anonymity, privacy, and normality to some degree. I hope you can respect that.”

Dante exhaled and leaned back slightly. Yes. Yes, he did understand that feeling. It was all too familiar to him. While a part of him did in fact still yearn for the possibility of that being true, there was a part of him that knew it wasn’t something he could easily obtain, if at all. More than likely it was a false hope, but he still hoped nonetheless. “Yea, I get that. Makes sense. Keep going?”

Sirrus nodded. “My biological parents are much like yours in that they are two completely different beings that hale from wildly different backgrounds, but I do not feel at all comfortable explaining who either of them is, or saying anything beyond that.” He said, gesturing towards Dante and Vergil respectively, his casual demeanor hiding his underlying anxiety much better than either of them realized. “What I can say is that my power is a direct result of their union. It isn’t a learned skill like it is for the Ludwigs. They are born with an aptitude for  _ learning  _ magic. I was born with inborn gifts. Mine simply differs from yours due to parentage and the fact that I am not what you are, but the principle is still the same. I hope that makes some measure of sense.”

“I understand that in a way,” Lucia interjected, shrugging softly in discomfort as she remembered her origins. It was a difficult subject, and one that she didn’t touch on lightly. After all, she’d spent a while fulling coming to grips with the truth herself. “I can understand why you didn’t say anything. But I don’t think anyone here would have had a problem with that knowledge. I mean, at least I think not.”

Dante shrugged and Vergil made some sort of motion akin to a shrug, but didn’t say anything. Nero and Nico both shared a glance over at V before doing much the same, both of them slightly unnerved by his persistent silence. Was he being affected by the knife again? “Yea, none of us can really say anything. Nico is basically the only totally normal person here. That is, if you can call whatever the hell she has going on “normal.” But she’d human either way.”

Nico punched Nero playfully in the shoulder. “Yea, what this stupid jerk is sayin is pretty much spot on, aside from  _ me _ being that weird. He’s done some pretty weird crap, so I guess he can say that about himself. But me, I’m just a regular old human who’s along for the ride. If you need any extra weirdness, you’d have to talk to basically anyone else in this room. Well, except Lucia. She seems pretty cool.”

Lucia held her hand up to her face to stifle the slight giggle that she felt coming on. Nico was quite the character from what she could tell. And that was just fine by her. But she still needed to find out what everyone was doing on the island in the first place. It wasn’t that she wasn’t glad to see Dante. What was most certainly not the case now, and she highly doubted that it ever would be. But if she had to guess, she’d be willing to say that he was here for a reason. 

Sirrus seemed amused by the young gunsmith’s response. “Your all quite right. I’m simply unaccustomed to being forthcoming about these sorts of things, especially towards people I’ve only recently met. But your kindness is most appreciated. Thank you.”

The lovely redhead nodded and turned towards the rest of the group, making herself comfortable. “Okay. Well, that’s a relief. Now that we’ve had that conversation and everything is sorted out a little better than it was before, I have to ask… what brings you to the island again so soon, Dante?! Last time you were gone quite a while longer than you were this time! I know that the circumstances are vastly different, but my point still stands. Did you just so happen to be in the area and thought you’d stop by to see me again?”

Dante laughed lightly, craning his head to one side. He had indeed missed Lucia in the time that they’d been away, there was no denying it. But unfortunately, there were not there as a lovely leisure retreat. They had work to do. He shook his head to indicate that he was saying no to her question, earning him a bashful but unabashed look from his longtime friend. Truly he washed that he was wrong, but he wasn’t.”

“Not as such. We’ve come to return something to you. At least from what I understand. Venturing all the way out here was Dante’s idea.” Vergil said flatly, not at all in the mood for this kind of friendly banter. When he’d returned after his prolonged absence, he’d nearly been shot down a flight of stairs by Magnolia. And that was to say nothing of his arrival back from the underworld. Dante had received quite the welcome wagon in comparison.

She gave him a curious look as he pointed to the box behind her. As the realization of what it contained kicked in, she gasped quietly, covering her face with her mouth. “That box… what’s supposed to be inside of it is… that’s not supposed to…  _ please _ tell me it’s empty? Please.” A shake of the head from Nero was all that it took for an almost mournful look to cross her face. “Oh, please forgive me for the trouble! I hate to say it, but I had no idea that it was gone. Some Guardian I am… Either way, thank you for returning it safely back to where it belongs. Do you recall where you found it by any chance? I’d like to investigate. Something this sacred just vanishing without a trace and without my mother or myself noticing is worrisome, to say the least.”

V finally decided to speak up, snapping out of the state of quiet contemplation that he’d previously found himself in. “Oh, I remember  _ precisely _ where they found that knife. If you look hard enough, I’m almost sure you’d still be able to find my blood on it. But at least it’s been returned to where it belongs now.”

Lucia gave him a sympathetic look as if she understood what he was alluding to. “I’m so sorry to hear that you were hurt. I am glad to see that you are alright. I would be remiss to hear that my inaction lead to your untimely death, much as I am to hear that you were harmed in the first place.” She looked back at the blade again for a moment just in time to miss V turning away to look out of the window, mildly embarrassed by her kind words. He wasn’t accustomed to such kindness. Lucia was truly wonderful. “I will return it to its rightful resting place as soon as I have a chance. And this time, I’ll make sure that all of the traps are turned back on. Not just some of them. But I get the feeling that that isn’t all you need help with?”   
Dante shook his head. “No, sorry to say that it isn’t. You up to going on another little trip with me to help out again?

She gave the youngest of Sparda’s two sons a polite smile. “Yes, absolutely.”

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m suddenly very sleepy, and it’s only 10:58 pm. Maybe it’s just the stormy weather. The entire plate of alfredo I’m about to eat isn’t going to do me any favors, either. Oh well, see you next week! And thanks for checking this chapter out! Now off to the comment section!


	18. Chapter 18: Venture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Notes: I have embarked on a self-destructive quest to collect every one of the DMC books. I never realized there were about fifty of them, especially for dmc1 since those comics have different cover variants. I have like 7 active bay orders and three Amazon deliveries scheduled for just this month! This is a self-inflicted hell that I was not emotionally, mentally, or financially prepared for, and somehow I still don’t regret it. Is this what insanity looks like? Oh yeah, the story. Moving on…

Chapter Eighteen: Venture

(-~-)

**A few days later…**

The city was bustling as always, roads paved with cobblestones and asphalt traversed by a steady stream of vehicles that cut a swath through the city, forming the metaphorical circulatory system synonymous with a metropolitan city of this size and magnitude. A cool but familiar breeze swept in from the coast, passing through the harbor, through the buildings, and down the street, causing nothing more than a minor inconvenience to anyone who was present outside of their vehicles or homes. But in spite of it all, things had somehow changed since they’d left not more than a week ago, their trip to Vie Du Marlin cut short after just a few days. And now that they were back, not a single one of them could place what had shifted during their departure, but it was something that they noticed nonetheless.

In truth, Lucia couldn’t remember how many years it had been since she’d been to Dante’s stomping grounds. From her recollection, it had been about a decade. Seemingly every time that she left her home, it was at her longtime friend’s behest, and that wasn’t something that she minded in the slightest. She actually enjoyed traveling despite the fact that she never got the opportunity to do so very much in her day-to-day life, especially if it meant that she had to leave the island. This was a welcome change of pace, even if she didn’t really know what she was doing there.

Without even needing to be told that something wasn’t right, she knew. It was just something in the air, a certain atmosphere that had fallen over the entire place that she couldn’t put her finger on. But she knew and she knew that everyone else around her knew and just wasn’t saying anything about it. Maybe everyone else just assumed that everyone else also noticed and didn’t feel the need to bring it up. Or maybe they were all trying to ignore it for some ill-defined reason that she couldn’t comprehend. Either way, there was most certainly something going on, and she didn’t know what it was, but what she  _ did _ know was that she didn’t like it very much at all. Nope, not one bit. But she was still here and she wasn’t going anywhere until she didn’t need to be there any longer.

As they rounded the corner near the central park that contained the Dark Knight Sparda’s statue, a jolt in the van snapped her out of her absentminded thoughts. Everyone in the van was just so…  _ quiet. _ For some, it was the kind of quiet contemplation that you might involuntarily undertake during a car ride, simply basking in the silent ambiance. But aside from V and Sirrus, she didn’t get the impression that that was why everyone else was silent. Dante was reading some sort of magazine that she didn’t recognize, and Vergil just seemed to be the sort who didn’t know how to relax to save his life. Everything about his posture seemed to make him and everyone else around him uncomfortable, and she was somewhat sure that he didn’t even notice that. At least Nero and Nico were moving a little from their positions in the front seat as they carried on, otherwise, she would start to worry that at least one person in this van was actually dead.

Moments later, they hit another bump in the road, more than likely harder than they should have. Lucia felt herself lurch forward slightly, looking over towards the front seat as if doing so would give her an answer as to why they were driving in the manner that they were. When she didn’t find what she was looking for, she turned her attention back towards Dante and his silent book reading. He’d changed too much from when she’d last seen him; from when she’d first seen him, in that regard. But one notable change that she could now identify was there was one that she was happy for. The everpresent sorrow that she’d once seen utterly consume him wasn’t at the very forefront of who he was like it had once been. It was still there, but he seemed to be at peace in some regard in a way that she’d never seen. She wondered if Vergil noticed as well. After all, he had to be part of the reason for that change. Although she didn’t really know the entirety of the history between them, she knew enough to see that his return from wherever he’d been all this time was influential on Dante. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing yet, but it had come with a few perks that she appreciated on his behalf.

She was happy to see him happier.

Leaning over to peek over his shoulder, she managed to inadvertently draw his attention away from whatever he was reading. The devil hunter in red looked over at her with a questioning look, lowering the flimsy, well-worn magazine and raising a curious eyebrow. Clearly, she wasn’t  _ trying _ to be sneaky in any way, shape, or form, but her curiosity was still something that he didn’t expect, and that was enough by itself to garner the attention that she was probably trying to attract in the first place but was just too polite to request. It was as understandable as it was entertaining, and the youngest of the Dark Knight Sparda’s twin sons wasn’t at all bothered by it.

“Lookin’ for somethin’?” He said almost sarcastically, trying his best to hide his amusement from her. He’d forgotten how enjoyable it could be to be around Lucia. For one, she didn’t stab him when he got on her nerves, not that he was sure that he’d ever managed to actually do that. She was too polite most of the time to even really say anything, though he  _ was _ pretty certain that she was still irritated with him about how long he’d left after they’d defeated Argosax and Arius. One day he’d have to fully make that up to her. After all, here she was, helping him out anyway. No hard feelings. You didn’t find friends like that every day. At least she was in a better place personally than she had once been way back when they had first met. Dante had at least grown up knowing what he truly was, even if he didn’t like it at times. Finding out after the fact had to be pretty jarring… 

The Demonslayer’s attention turned to Nero and V for a moment. Nero had grown up surrounded by demon fanatics who literally worshiped his grandfather as a god without knowing who he truly was, and that had left an undeniable impact on his life. But even still, he’d managed to overcome the cards she’d been dealt and turn out alright. V though… he was immensely complicated. Dante didn’t know the entirety of either of his nephews’ pasts, but something told him that V had gone through more than a few dark experiences in his youth. There was just something  _ obtuse _ about him that he couldn’t place, and he knew it came from what he didn’t know about him. And from what he knew, none of his experiences with the supernatural had exactly been positive, let alone good go him. He couldn’t help but wonder what he thought about all of this. The past was complicated for everyone in their family, much like the present. He hoped the future wouldn’t be more of the same in that regard. Once Belial was out of the picture, they could go from there. It was all just so much to take in all at once, wasn’t it?

Sparing a quick glance between Lucia and the rest of the members of the team that were currently in the van, he remembered something about the last time he’d visited Lucia’s homeland. He’d have to go back and visit that place when all of this was over and they finally got the chance to take her home. Sometimes he really missed Cerberus. He’d been a good stinky little pooch, and an even better weapon. The new one was great and all, but there was just something about the original that it couldn’t top on a personal level. He’d lost a lot over the years, and he’d given even more away, but that was one thing that he’d known that he needed to do at the time that he’d come to regret later and he still did. But that’s what life was, wasn’t it? A series of regrets that you either did or didn’t recover for, normally due to well-intentioned actions that came back to bite you. He and Vergil had both been fools in their youth, just like everyone else. They were just a different kind of fool than everyone else around them in most ways. All then needed to do now was move past that now. Easier said than done.

“No, not really. Well, kind of. Are we in a hurry?” Lucia said politely, tilting her head in Nico’s general direction. She hadn’t asked many questions before agreeing to come here, so much of what was going on was a mystery to her. But what she did know was that Dante needed her help, and she was going to give it to him. He’d always been there to help her when she needed it most, and she wasn’t the type to backpedal on those who needed her, especially when they so rarely asked for her help in the first palace.

Dante gave her a blank look for a moment before the metaphorical lightbulb came on in his head. Oh, that’s what she’d meant, wasn’t it? That made sense enough. “Oh, you mean- no, Nico  _ always  _ drives like this. It’s just kinda her thing. Probably should have told you that before you got in the van. My bad.”

Lucia blanched. She drove like this  _ every time they went somewhere?! _ How was anyone alive still?! Why didn’t literally anyone else drive? Did they just not care anymore?

Vergil glanced over at them both as they rounded the last corner and pulled into the parking spot out front of the office, a hard-to-read look on his face. “There are several things you should have told her before asking her to come here, her driving being towards the bottom of that list. But I don’t think that would have changed her answer. There is clearly more than a little history between the both of you.”

The younger of the two scoffed. “Oh, Brother. You have no idea.”

Lucia glanced between them both, chuckling awkwardly under her breath. Goodness, these two were something else, weren’t they? Despite the fact that they were identical twins, they seemed to have quite a hard time talking to one another. It was almost as if there was some form of residual bitterness or resentment between them that they were working towards getting over. She wasn’t going to ask. They would tell her if they wanted her to know. But she got the impression that whatever this was between them had once been even worse than it was now, so at least they were probably making progress. And they did seem to have one thing in common: they were both really good at saying what was on their mind, at least to one another. She wasn’t sure that was a good thing, but it was something. What on earth had happened between the two of them to make them this way?

Moments later, the van came to a full stop. V put his book away and turned to face them, a slightly perplexed look on his face. He’d only been half paying attention to what they were talking about, his attention clearly elsewhere. But even still, he could just feel the awkwardness in the atmosphere, and that by itself was enough to put him on alert. How many fights could he and Nero possibly break up between the two of them in one month?! It was slightly ridiculous.

Exiting the van, the group traveled inside the office, noting that the lights out front of the office were once again not on. The moment that he caught sight of this fact, Dante cursed himself eternally. How had he managed to forget to pay the bill  _ again _ ? He’d actually done it on time for once in his life the last time that the bill had come around out or the fear that Nero would do it again with the money that he didn’t have or that he’d once again be behind on the bills. Nero had spent a sizable amount of money to help get him out of that hole, and he’d totally let it slip his mind.

A cursory glance back at the rest of the crew as he walked up the stairs gave him a mixed bag of results. Half of them didn’t seem to notice, and the other half that didn’t seem to have an easily accessible response to it. Maybe they just didn’t care? After all, it was evening. Maybe the sign had just been turned off or something and he was overreacting? It was entirely possible that one of them had hit the switch on the way out of the door when they’d left, especially since Vergil lived there now. He had noticed that his twin was significantly more fiscally minded than he was, and actually seemed to pay attention to how much the bills were going to be. One could only hope that the power  _ was _ actually still on, or he was going to have to have a very awkward conversation with his twin. He could only hide the books from Vergil for so long…

Upon entering the building, Dante flicked the switch to find that the power was, in fact, actually off. Damn it. Of course it was. He walked over to his desk as the others filed in behind him, pretending not to notice that the lights weren’t on. Maybe if he just didn’t bring attention to it no one would-

Before he could even finish that thought, V stepped through the doorway. Upon noticing that the lights were not on, he stepped out of the way of anyone who might be walking behind him and reached for the switch, flicking it into the on position. He glanced up towards the ceiling and, upon realizing that neither the fan nor the lights were going to actually come on, he looked over towards the desk in the middle of the room that Dante was so fond of sitting at. This was at least the second time that he’d come over to his uncle’s house and the power hadn’t been on. He was starting to think that Dante might have some sort of problem with paying the bills, or just didn’t like to be able to see in his office. Maybe he could see in the dark or something? Was it just willful defiance on his part?

“Dante… your power is off again,” V said calmly as if he had half expected to stumble into the office and find himself in the dark. After all, Morrison had used part of the money he’d made when they had first met to turn on Dante’s power. He hadn’t forgotten that little detour on the way to start the contract. “Did you forget to pay the bill again before we left, or did you just not care since no one would be here?”

The older demon hunter looked over at his nephew, dying inside a little bit. Vergil gave him a mildly disapproving look, folding his arms as he closed his eyes for a moment and exhaled heavily. A moment later, he opened them, now seemingly frustrated as it probably occurred to him that this had to be at least the second time that his twin brother had failed to pay the utility bills on time. He looked as though he was going to say something to his younger twin, but Lucia entered the building a moment later, halting his words. It seemed that he didn’t want her to hear whatever it was that he had been planning to say, so at least for the time being, Dante would live to see another day.

“Let’s call it the second one, and not the first one, hu V?” Dante said, responding to his nephew’s inquiry. The younger man hadn’t meant to throw him firmly under the bus in the manner that he just had. Probably. But that didn’t change the fact that he was now going to spend the remainder of the day under Vergil’s unflinching watch until his twin got a satisfactory answer as to why the bills hadn’t been paid. In fact, it could be longer than that if the power wasn’t immediately turned back on. As soon as Vergil realized that he couldn’t do anything meaningful to entertaining himself in the dark, he was officially a dead man walking.

Being the kind person that she was, Lucia did, in fact, notice that the lights were no on, and she had heard V’s statement, but she didn’t feel the need to say anything to him about it just yet. She’d pick fun at him about his apparent lack of ability to keep the power on at a later date. For now, she was content as she was. It wasn’t as if she was afraid of the dark or anything like that.

V nodded, turning his attention to the couch. Call it jet lag, but he suddenly felt very tired, and he wasn’t entirely sure as to why that was. He needed to sit down and catch his breath for a moment before doing anything else. Not that he had anything in particular that he needed to do besides going home and getting a good night’s rest. He wondered if either of their guests were staying with Dante for the night. After all, Vergil was in the spare room. They could sleep on the couch, but that seemed a little uncomfortable. And then there was Nero’s house, but that only accounted for one of them. So a hotel, then? Or maybe…

“Have you decided where you’re going to stay for the next little while, Lucia? Or for that matter, are you headed back to Magnolia’s house, Sirrus? It’s getting to be quite late, isn’t it?” V said as he reclined on the couch, waiting for their responses. He already knew what he planned to say, but he wasn’t entirely sure why he’d decided to do what he planned to do.

Lucia sat down on the other end of the couch, taking in the space she currently occupied. This was certainly different from the last place she’d visited when she’d come to wait for her friend before. She didn’t remember the address from before, so she wouldn’t be surprised if this was actually a brand new office. “Actually, no. I have not thought much about it. I should probably figure that out, especially since I have no idea how long I will be here. Why were you asking?”

Sirrus concurred, leaning over the back of the couch as he looked between the two of them. Now he was curious as to what V was getting at. “I had considered leaning on her a little longer against my better judgment, but she likes to keep her guest room available for emergencies. I am no such thing. I suppose a hotel would be the natural choice with no other options presented to me. Why?”

V shrugged nebulously, suddenly uncomfortable with being the subject of their shared attention. “I was going to… did you… I have several spare rooms. I believe there are five bedrooms in my new residence, and I live alone. For whatever reason, the specifics of that number escape me at the moment.”

The man with the red hair chortled slightly, tilting his head to one side. “You don’t remember how many bedrooms your new house has?” disbelief was evident in his voice as he spoke, but he tried to keep how funny he found that to himself. Was V alright? He seemed somewhat frazzled. “Regardless, I’d be more than happy to accept your offer. At least you probably have electricity.”

Lucia made a sound somewhere between a chuckle and a snicker. “You're probably right. V, you seem like the responsible sort. I’d be happy to keep you both company, if it’s not too much trouble.” Lucia looked over towards the desk, noting that Vergil was leaning against the wall, giving Dante a menacing look from behind his back. Dante was clearly pretending to not notice, but she could practically  _ feel _ him pouring sweat from where she sat on the other side of the room. Oh, dear… “Seeing a little bit more of the city sounds like a nice idea, and if I was to go with my gut, I’d say that Dante isn’t long for this world. His brother seems quite upset with him… again.”

The young white-haired devil hunter nodded. “Oh, I’m almost certain that you’re correct. I don’t suspect he will last the night. I have no desire to witness a murder.” he turned towards Nero to gain his attention. The younger of the two was standing next to the front door, leaned against the wall much as he had been when he’d first arrived there himself. “Nero, care to join us?”

Nero snapped out of the apparent daydreaming episode that he’d been taking part in and nodded, practically ready to jump at the idea of not being at the office any longer in than he had to be, especially with how dark it was becoming and how likely their father was to fly off into a murderous rage at any moment. “Shit, I thought you’d never ask. Let’s get the hell out of there. I’m not in the mood to deal with this crap tonight. Nico, start the van. We’re leaving. Now.”

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Supposedly, I’ll be out of town sometime this week, but I’m not sure. Don’t worry, I’m not going super far. This isn’t the time for a vacation in like a different state or something. It’s just a short 2-3 hour road trip to go see some stuff and head home. Most of the time we will be in a car. But you know how you have that one friend who makes plans with you and then literally always cancels them? Yea, this is that friend. He’s pushed this back about three times now, so we will see. Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter! See you Friday!


	19. Chapter 19: Informative

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Sorry for any lingering mistakes. I wrote this entirely on my phone during a road trip with a friend so that it would be done on time. It’s just been one of those busy weeks, you know? Anyway, sorry for any mistakes. I tried my best to spell-check it, but still.

Chapter Nineteen: Informative 

(-~-)

Deciding to leave when they did had been perhaps the smartest thing they could have done, given the circumstances. As if on cue, the weather had taken an abrupt turn for the worst, a thick fog rolling in from the north that threatened to obscure their vision and keep them trapped where they were. The chilly air that it brought with it wasn't so much unpleasant as it was unexpected as the day had been warm for the season up until then.

Leaving their father and uncle to sort out things on their own was a no-brainer this time around. Normally they would take steps to make sure that their father didn't murder Dante, but this time they just couldn't be bothered. Someone had to convince Lucia and Sirrus that they were not a family of savage idiots that only moved to harm one another. Though in Lucia's case, she had probably come to some conclusion in regards to that long before they had met her. She and Dante  _ we're  _ old friends after all.

As they opened the front door to the office and headed towards the van, V stopped for a moment. Despite its abnormal timing, the cool air was a welcome respite from the weather in Lucia's homeland this time of year. It had been humid and got there, quite literally the polar opposite of the kind of weather that he tended to gravitate towards. No, he liked it just like this. A cool breeze and some optional rain or fog. He'll, even some  _ snow _ was preferable to the humid nightmare that was the more tropical corner of the world that they had just vacated. He didn't even have the right type of clothes for that sort of place, and much like his younger sibling, he didn't exactly tan. That was entirely enough for him.

Just as he stepped towards the lower part of the stairs, a hand reached out and tapped him in the shoulder, taking him entirely off guard. Turning to face whoever had just touched him, he couldn't help but allow his confusion to become evident on his face. It was rare that other members of the team touched him, and it was even rarer that his  _ father _ so much as came near another person at all, let alone made physical contact with them. And no, using Yamato to impale or otherwise harm them didn't count. What strange Lovecraftian nightmare was  _ this? _

Turning to face him fully, V gave him a perplexed look, unsure as to what this could be about. He'd never really seen Vergil make… whatever the face was that he was making at the moment. He seemed almost amused, and that wasn't an emotion that he could honestly say he'd ever really been able to associate with his father. While he was aware that he did, in fact, possess a sense of humor, he couldn’t say that he fully understood it or was able to accurately guess what he might actually find entertaining. But he'd clearly done  _ something _ that the older devil slayer found at least somewhat amusing, so that was a place to start.

"Did you need something?" V asked calmly, unsure as to how to take this sudden shift in his father's generally calm and somewhat cold persona. He was used to Vergil being more… predictable. And right now, he was anything but that. Despite the fact that he knew this didn’t pose a threat of any sort to him, he just couldn’t shake the strange, insidious feeling that he felt brewing in the very pit of his stomach. It was as if a knot that he couldn’t untangle had manifested within the very depths of his core, and he couldn’t place its location any more than he could understand its underlying cause.

Giving him an almost knowing look, Vergil glanced momentarily in Lucia's general direction, his eyes lingering on her for a moment as he seemed to quietly consider something. V had to turn in her direction to see that his father was even looking at her in the first place since his back was to the van and he was facing the large office doors that Vergil had decided to lean against. After a moment, the Darkslayer crossed his arms, looking at his son with a slightly more serious look than he had possessed a moment ago. It seemed that whatever he’d been thinking, he was about to actually express in words.

"... I've noticed that you seem to have feelings for that girl. Dante's friend. Were you planning to act upon them, or simply pine fruitlessly from a safe distance." Vergil inquired calmly, his slightly humored demeanor resurfacing slightly as he seemed to make a consorted effort to actually hide it. He clearly found something about this very entertaining, but he wasn't going to say as much. At least not at the moment. 

V's entire mental process instantly stalled like an overheating car engine. He genuinely regretted the fact that he had not just taken the opportunity to leave and head to the van with the others when he had the chance. Were they actually having this conversation right now? Because it sure as hell seemed like they were. And did this even count as a conversation? Normally it required at least two people for a conversation to take place, and he couldn't will himself to speak a single word. Vergil took that opportunity to continue.

"Because if that was indeed your plan of action, I feel somewhat inclined to point out that it would get you nowhere. Inaction normally has that effect. I would be remiss to not take the opportunity to remind you of that, regardless of the fact that you are intelligent enough to have figured that out for yourself by now." He continued nonchalantly, either not noticing the slightly wide eyes, pupal dilated, utterly flabbergasted expression, or shear and unadulterated horror on his eldest son's normally neutral face or genuinely not caring. Either way, that wasn’t going to stop him from making his opinion on the matter known, regardless of how much he was sure his son probably wanted it to.

The young white-haired summoner attempted to force his brain to conjure up some meaningful response to what would otherwise be a simple inquire for his father, but the mixture of confusion and horror that he found himself in was entirely too strong to allow for that level of cognitive function. How had his father even noticed that? Was it that obvious? Was he actually that bad at hiding his thoughts? In truth, he wasn't entirely sure as to whether or not his absentminded meandering in regards to Lucia was the result of the fact that he found her undeniably lovely, or something more than that, but the fact that Vergil could tell that he felt anything towards her at all was admittedly startling to him. What if Lucia had noticed as well. He didn't want her getting any sort of incorrect notions as to his intentions, especially when he didn't fully understand what his intentions were in the first place.

"Wh… why would you ask me something like that?" V asked breathlessly, unsure as to what else he could even say about the matter. This entire situation was highly irregular. Or was it? Did fathers normally question their sons about matters that pertained to their love life, especially when those sons were adults? Truthfully, V didn't have any prior knowledge as to the legitimacy of that fact. He'd never had any friends to ask or even see this happen to, and it had never been a thought that had crossed his mind. But one thing that he did know was that this was an exceedingly uncomfortable topic of conversation, and every second that he took part in it, willing or unwilling (and it was most certainly unwilling), he could feel himself die inside, aging little by little until he lost all cognitive function and simply ceased to exist any longer.

Seemingly slightly confused as to his son's reaction, Vergil folded his arms and blinked slowly for a moment. Yes, it seemed that V absolutely had no idea what he was getting at, did he? The eldest Son of Sparda liked to think that he had a pretty good line in gauging others’ reactions and body language in regards to trying to find out if they were being truthful or deceptive, and he couldn’t say that he thought that his son was lying. If anything, he seemed genuinely shocked that he had asked him a question of this sort, and Vergil was both further amused and slightly confused by his son's intense mental backpedaling. Was this topic of conversation really  _ that _ horrifying to him? Because that would explain quite a bit about V's overall reaction to it.

"Perhaps because I noticed that you invited her to your home. And your total inability to stop looking at her with that lost expression or your face or so much as form a complete sentence in her presence. There are several factors at play here. Do not insult my intelligence. I am not blind." Vergil paused for a moment, noticing the fact that V seemed both physically and mentally exhausted by the very concept of having this conversation. Was his oldest child absorbing even a monochrome of the wisdom that he was trying to impart upon him? "And I am willing to imagine that she is not blind, either. It would be a miracle if she hadn't at least clued into your affections for her by this point. It might be best to simply tell her. If you can get your brain to function in her presence for that long, that is. And I have my doubts."

If he had been a slight bit less physically sick from the conversation that he was taking part in at that moment, he probably would have been somewhat insulted by that comment. But instead, he just nodded involuntarily, his subconscious eager to produce some sort of meaningful reaction to his father's advice. He wasn't really sure if it had achieved the desired result, or simply served to make him look even less intelligent than he was willing to assume he probably looked at the moment, but he couldn't make himself dwell on that long enough to care, even though he knew that he should.

"Thank you?" V said in an unsure tone, entirely unsure as to what he was supposed to say in this situation. All he knew was that he wanted to get out of this situation as quickly as possible, and that the others were waiting for him in the van. His absence was probably starting to seem slightly suspicious, and the last thing he wanted to do was have to explain why his father had held him up for this long. "We are absolutely not having this conversation right now, father. We have to go, and I am holding up the others. I must go before they began to question what is taking me so long."

As he glanced towards the van, he felt the need to add something before. "By the way… please don't say anything to her on my behalf until I figure out how to produce. I beag of you. I need time to think, and I would probably die from pure mortification alone."

Vergil looked somewhat frustrated by that statement. "That is not biologically possible. Dying from embarrassment isn't something that you can physically do. And you tend to take longer than they do to arrive at a destination as it currently stands regardless, V. But very well." Vergil cringed internally as he saw the somewhat questioning look on V's face. Sometimes his eloquent thoughts did not translate well to actual spoken dialogue, especially in regards to situations where he wasn't actually trying to sound like a petulant unfeeling cold bastard. And yet, here he was, doing just that yet again. Was this an involuntary action on his part?

The younger man stared at him for a momnet, almost physically combing through his thoughts as he tried to come up with a satisfactory reassessment of himself. Did he actually walk that slow? He liked to think that he didn't. While he was aware that he did in fact walk at a speed that was lacking when compared to the rest of his compartiots, he didn't think that it was that slow. Did the others notice and simply not point it out to him out of a sense of politeness, and his father was the only one who actually had the never to point it out to him? Because now that he thought about it, that was entirely possible. They were all generally quite kind to him, even when making fun of him as Nico liked to do from time to time. But Vergil didn't possess such qualms.

"Disregard my former statement. It was not entirely factual." Vergil sighed, turning to look back through the door that he was behind before looking forwards again. "I would advise you to seek Nero's consol in regards to these sorts of matters. You’re clearly not going to take in anything meaningful that I am trying to imprint upon you, and he has at least made it a bit farther in that regard than you have at present. I may simply be out of touch. According to Dante, I'm "old."

For a moment, V stared at his father. A sympathetic look crossed his face as he considered the ramifications of that statement, and the strange sorrow in his father's tone of voice as he spoke those words. He couldn't be entirely sure as to why, but it seemed that his father genuinely didn't like being considered older. Perhaps it was simply a result of the narrative that he might be out of touch, or something as profound as being a personification of the deep regret that he probably felt in regards to the things that he could no longer experience. His youth was indeed gone, along with the opportunities unique to it, but somehow he knew that this wasn't about that. The younger man had literally no way to know for sure without asking his father, and that was off the table at the moment. But what he did know was that he might be able to say or do something,  _ anything  _ to help.

Reaching out with a mixture of reluctance and uncertainty, V placed his hand on Vergil's shoulder. He admittedly expected him to pull away it react in anger in some way, but he decided to take the risk regardless. After all, he was unlikely to physically harm him over the gesture, and he was used to being rejected in regards to this sort of thing. But to his surprise, all his father did was give him a curious look, allowing his gaze to wander up to his arm, following the thin limb up to his fingers until he seemed to mentally register that V had indeed just voluntarily touched him. He then looked back at V quietly, seemingly unsure of what to really say about the matter at hand.

"... You’re not  _ old _ . At least I don't think so. I'd like to imagine you still have quite a bit of life left in you. It’s a mindset more than it is a physical condition, at least as far as I am concend. But it’s not my place to say that. You can believe whatever it is that you want to believe. You've earned that right a few times over by this point." He turned back towards the van, taking a reluctant step down the first step as he released his father’s shoulder and allowed the limp appendage to fall back toward his side. "I have to leave now. If you are both still alive come morning, please make your way over. It may be easier to make whatever preparation you wish to make in a place with power. And running water, for that matter. Something tells me that you might not have that, either. Dante seems to fail to pay his utility bills in batches. But until then, have a good night. And please…  _ never _ bring this topic of conversation up again."

While he understood why his father had done so, he was somewhat sure that he rather die than allow his father to give him "the talk". It was a horrifying concept that literally aged him to the point where he lost years of his life, and he never wanted to revisit it again. He had no idea what had possessed his normally quiet father to make him even r=bring this up instead of watching in the background like he would like to assume he did, but he hoped that whatever that force of nature was, it left and never returned. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy speaking to his father, it was that this was far from the topics of conversation that he felt comfortable discussing with literally anyone else aside from the person they were directed towards, and even the, that was a stretch.

Vergil nodded in regards to his son's words. While he was not sure yet if he would humor his request or press the issue, he would leave it alone. He allowed his hand to drift almost absentmindedly to the place where his son's hand had been only a minute ago, letting it linger there momentarily as he watched the van pull off down the street and around the corner, disappearing from sight. He was now starting to wonder if he had been somewhat mistaken in regards to which of his sons was actually the intelligent one. Or perhaps they were just equally unintelligent in regards to romance. But he had to assume that there was a certain charm to that, even it if was somewhat pathetic in nature. But that was enough of that for now. He had tried. 

Now to see to maters with Dante. And he had a feeling that there would be a reckoning store for him.

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you hear that sound? That’s the sound of V dying inside because his dad just tried to bring up his love life in a conversation with him. Poor thing! And we thought that Dante not having power was bad… see you all next week on Wednesday! I hope you liked this chapter! Bye bye!


	20. Chapter 20: Arrears

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: And just like that, we’re on chapter twenty for the third time. That’s totally surreal, isn’t it? Sorry that my replies were a day or two late this week and that this chapter is a few hours late. I fell asleep. I was out of town Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday with a friend, so my uploads and response times were not quite as quick as I would have liked. But it’s okay because I’m back! Now let’s get on with this fic.

Chapter Twenty: Arrears 

(-~-)

Once they were gone, the doors to the front office swung shut with a resounding bang, sending an echoing boom through the entirety of the front room. In what had to be a rare moment of silence for the normally noisy space, there was no music playing and no ceiling fans spinning due to the lack of electricity present within the building. It was welcome, but also strange as he had finally begun to grow used to the sound of Dante’s particular brand of loud metal and rock. And although he couldn’t say that he enjoyed the exact music that Dante did, he found that he didn’t mind it as much as he used to when he’d first heard it. Maybe he could even convince him to play something else… 

The Darkslayer took a moment to lock the door behind himself before proceeding, not so much because he was worried that they would be attacked or that someone would attempt to actually break in and rob them. No, that would be an absolute dream as far as the eldest Son of Sparda was concerned. Having the opportunity to teach a wayward criminal a much-needed lesson without the moral implications that came with cold-blooded murder or fratricide was a welcome change of pace for him. No, they needed to be alone for this, and he didn’t need any of his younger brother’s associates interrupting them with any trivial or annoying requests, especially given their current circumstances.

As the devil hunter in the blue coat approached his brother’s desk, Dante shook his head, reclining in the chair at his desk as he awaited his older sibling’s response. He was somewhat sure that he already knew what he was going to say. After all, Vergil had been looming over him like a literal physical manifestation of the shadow of his immense debt ever since they had returned and realized that the power was once again turned off. That had surely given them both enough time to contemplate what they both expected the other to say and, in turn, what they would add to the conversation themselves. That was, if there was a conversation at all. While they had made remarkable progress in the short time that they had been gone from the office, he didn’t put it past his older sibling to still want to settle this the old-fashioned way like they always had. And at this point, there was a part of him that expected nothing less than that, regardless of the progress that they made. The real question was how they would go about this process, and what the fight would be about this time, not so much if there would be one in the first place.

“I know, I know. This is the part where you barely hide how mad you are at me, and they you give me a piece of your mind before you stab me again, right Vergil.” Dante laughed grimly as he spoke those words, watching his twin slowly approach the desk. That was what was to be expected under these circumstances. And he’d dealt with Vergil enough times to know that-

“Why are the utilities always off, Dante? Am I to presume that you are in some form of arrears to the utility company, then?” Vergil said calmly as he reached the halfway point of the room. He stopped a few feet from the desk, looking around the room for a moment before continuing. “It came to my attention just after we had first returned from the underworld that you might be hiding something. It clearly wasn’t the first time that you had gone without electricity since you didn’t appear to be surprised by its absence, but considering our initial fight with Nero on the front steps upon arriving, my general mood at the time, and the lingering unrest in the atmosphere around the office as to my presence, I was unwilling to bring it up at the time. But now I require answers.”

His calm demeanor took Dante somewhat by surprise as while he was indeed expecting his brother to ask him why the power was off again, he wasn’t expecting him to do so with such a genuine level of curiosity. There didn’t seem to be any real anger in his voice as he asked that question, which admittedly turned things on their head a little. Dante was expecting to be lambasted for several minutes before things either turned violent or Vergil gave up and went to bed. This was… well, this was entirely too diplomatic to be an actual response from his older twin brother. What the hell was going on here?

“You caught onto what was going on that quick, hu? Well damn. I thought I was doing a better job of hiding it.” Dante said, dragging out a long, tired sigh. It was out in the open now, and that brought with it a sort of strange euphoric sense of release that he hadn’t expected, given the circumstances. “So… what happens now? Are we gonna skip the part where you stab me, or go straight to it? I’d just like to know what I’m getting myself into this time, ya know?”

Vergil stepped out of the shadows and approached the desk, unfolding his arms and using them to prop himself up against the desk. He seemed calm in a manner unlike what Dante was used to when it came to his older sibling. From what he could tell, the devil slayer in blue almost seemed to be considering something or even patently awaiting his response. But whatever he was doing, Dante wasn’t sure how he felt about it. As unpleasant as most of his older sibling’s reactions were to basically everything that he did and didn’t do, they were at least almost entirely predictable. This was the farthest thing from that that Dante could imagine, and it made him somewhat apprehensive as to what to do now. He was in uncharted territory, adrift at sea with no wind in his sails and now oars to row with.

“I am… attempting a new approach. My old methods have hit a dead end. And predictably so, at that.” Vergil let loose a barely audible sigh, looking down at the floor as he considered his next words carefully. He wasn’t entirely sure how to put into words what he was thinking, but he did, in fact, know what he actually wanted to do. Talking to his younger twin had never been something that he was particularly adept at, but that didn’t stop him from trying. After all, when had Vergil been the kind of man to do things by half? “As you know, I do not enjoy predictability. So in light of recent revelations, I am now attempting to actually  _ communicate _ with you instead of simply folding to my baser instincts and using less civil means with which to get my point across.”

Dante sat up and leaned in towards him, looking at him as though he were speaking a foreign language. No, he couldn’t possibly be hearing that right. Had his older twin truly just insinuated that he might be tired of… that couldn’t be possible, could it? Well, it could. That was entirely possible. But he just never thought that he would live long enough to see the day that Vergil would succeed defeat and decide that maybe stabbing his younger sibling to death constantly was perhaps not the best method to achieving his goals. The thought had crossed Dante’s mind on several occasions, but he had just never been able to actually find a way with which to make those ideas into reality. But now…

“So if I’m hearing you right, you’re saying that you actually plan to  _ not _ stab me right now, and instead you want to  _ talk _ to me?” Dante wasn’t sure that his humorous tone of voice and sarcastic mannerisms alluded to the deep-seated elation that he felt at that prospect, but that didn’t make it any less true. He had waited a lifetime for the day that his brother might come to the conclusion that it might be a good idea to simply speak to him. And while he hadn’t helped to make that outcome anymore likely, and had often worked directly against it in ways large and small over the years, that didn’t make the possibility of that outcome becoming a reality any less joyous to him. “Am I getting that right, or has someone left and opened a valve that lets out toxic gases in here and we’re both just secretly dying right now or something?”

“Your half right, Dante. That is, in fact, what I am trying to say. But on the last account, you are incorrect. We are not secretly dying.” The Darkslayer paused for a moment, lingering on thoughts that he would have preferred to have kept buried deep below the surface to hide his apparent suffering. He had been through much, and a large percentage of his suffering in life had been through the lens of death. Talking about it wasn’t something that he cherished the opportunity to do. It was unpleasant but necessary. And yet, here he was, willingly doing so. Vergil had pivoted from defiance to indifference in some respects, and then he had made a sharp left into uneasy acceptance. For now, that was all he  _ could _ do, and he had decided that focusing on what he was capable of instead of beating himself down with the combined weight of everything that he couldn’t might just be the best thing that he could do for himself in moments like these. “Every living thing is at all times marching towards their death. There is no secret in that. It is the inevitability of mortality. Some of us simply make it there quicker or under less desirable circumstances than others. But in the end, we all share the same fate.”

Giving his brother a much more serious look now than he had been a moment ago, Dante leaned back slightly in order to physically give himself space to take in what Vergil had just said. He had the distinct feeling that he now knew what this was about, and that was both a good and a bad thing. While it was far past time that they tackled this topic, he just hadn’t expected things to come to a head like this when they had. It would have been wonderful to have had forewarning so that he could have prepared and… no. No,  _ had _ had time to prepare himself for this. From the moment that he had stepped foot in the Qliphoth and found himself standing face to face with the doors to Urizen’s throne room, coming to grips with the fact that the monster on the other side of those doors was indeed his twin brother, he had been preparing himself for the worst. When Vergil had reluctantly agreed to return to the human world with hum under the resigned fatalistic view that it couldn’t get much worse, he had known that they would have to have this conversation one day. And now that Vergil was here, it was time to have it. They had needed to get this off of their chest for quite a while now.

“Say what it is that you  _ really _ want to say, Vergil. I’m not stupid enough to not be able to tell that there is more to this than what you’re saying. You know that, right?” Dante straightened his back out slightly as he reclined in his desk chair, peering out at Vergil from the bangs that hand now found their way in front of his eyes again. He needed to put some space between himself and his brother, if only to keep himself from developing claustrophobia. As much as Vergil utterly despised unwanted or involuntary physical contact, it was one of his best methods for making someone that he wanted to put on edge uncomfortable. Being at the mercy of both his impressive height in respect to most people, and his cold, unflinching stare was normally enough to make the average mortal flinch and back down, and in that respect, even Dante folded, even if only just a little bit. Being stared at the way that Vergil stared at people when he was trying to make a point was enough to make literally anyone want to back away from him. The Demon hunter wondered for a moment if his older brother even noticed that this was something that he did, or if it was something that he did involuntarily out of reflex.

A look somewhere between surprise and acceptance crossed Vergil's face as he nodded in agreement, standing up straighter as he shifted his weight to one hand and then quite literally looked down on his younger twin. There it was again. That noticeable change in him that had not been present when they were younger. Vergil understood it now more than he had when he had first noticed that something was drastically different about his twin now. It was his maturity level. Dante had indeed learned from his past, and seemed to be haunted by the mistakes and regrets that he harbored, much like he himself still did. He recognized it as his own, the poignant grief that he now realized deep within himself that they both shared. It was… well, he couldn’t say that it was something that he’d ever wished for Dante. There were plenty of unfortunate occurrences that Vergil would have brushed or even wished on his brother during his youth. Not so long ago, he would have been ready to exact those very injustices upon him with his own hands. But in that same light, he now understood something that he hadn’t then: the fact that Dante himself felt the same way. He just buried it under a thick layer of humor and sarcasm

He saw it in the moments that they were alone. Dante didn’t possess the same energy that he’d once had, the same spark that he had carried in his youth. And that wasn’t something he could blame completely on his age. Some things were lost along with the youth of the person who possessed them, and hope was one of those things. But hardship, regret, and suffering were great at enhancing those characteristics in a way that few other emotions could match, at least in regards to negative connotations. He would have never pegged Dante as the sort to think that deeply about his actions and their consequences when they were younger, much as he was willing to believe that his younger twin probably didn’t think he himself did back then. And they might have both been right under certain circumstances. But now they were older and they had lived through the folly of their youth. And they were ready to move on from it.

“You’re terrible at keeping things from me, Dante. You always have been. I had the feeling that something was amiss financially in regards to your personal life, and I see that I was not incorrect. But that does not concern me.” Vergil tilted his head slightly to the left, attempting to make brief eye contact with his younger twin as the slightly younger man attempted to not think too hard about the situation that he now found himself in. Things had taken quite the turn since Lucia had left the office with V and the others. He couldn’t say that he knew for sure whether or not his brother had specifically waited for them to leave before having this conversation with him, but he was willing to believe that that was more than likely the case. And that in of itself was admittedly fascinating to him. Vergil had never really cared about shaming him out in the open. Had he actually done so in order to not embarrass him any further than he was embarrassing himself due to the fact that they had company over who were not blood members of their family? Because if so, that had been uncharacteristically compassionate of his older twin. “If I had come here with the expectation that you had everything in your life under control, then I would not be able to claim to know you at all. Your financial troubles are something that can be fixed, unlike some of our other troubles.”

Dante couldn’t help but laugh at that statement. “Oh, brother! See, that’s where you're dead wrong. There is no fixing the amount of debt that I’m in. It’s a whole lot worse than just a few power and water bills.” Shaking his head, Dante leaned back and attempted to open the drawer to his desk, cursing himself internally when he had to pull on it much harder than he normally would. He’d shoved something in there before he’d left, and the sliding mechanism had been jammed, but it opened nonetheless. He then produced a worn brown ledger, tossing it onto the desk with a responding thud. Completely unwilling to even look in the general direction of the book, he slid the door shut and glanced over at Vergil, shrugging slightly. “You want a better answer as to what kind of mess I’m in? It’s in there. But you’re not going to like what’s in it.”

Leaning over to pick up the ledger, Vergil gave it a once over for a moment before opening the cover and flipping to the middle of it. Dante had to admire his twin’s insanity for a moment, likening the action of jumping to the middle of someone’s financial history with diving headfirst into ice water without knowing how to swim. Oh, wait… V had literally done just that. Perhaps reckless insanity for the sake of self-preservation ran in the family? Regardless, the frankly calm and placid look on Vergil’s face turned rapidly to confusion and perplexed frustration as he looked over the numbers. He then immediately turned back a few pages, only to realize that his answers were elsewhere. A moment later, he turned back to the very front of the book before furrowing his brow and jumping immediately to the end of the ledger to try and assess the damages in full. There was no point in trying to make sense of something like this. It was simply the kind of situation where you looked at how deep you’d fallen into the hole, and then tried to figure out what you could stack up to try and climb towards the surface again just to have a chance at jumping towards the general direction of the surface that you could probably barely see due to how far down you were. And you could only hope that you were able to grab onto something when you made that just, because if you didn’t? Well, you would just be back at the bottom where you had started in the first place all over again, and at that point, what had you accomplished?

Upon realizing the depth of the issue at face value, Vergil closed the book along with his eyes before letting out a long, exhausted sigh. He then tossed the book back onto the desk as though simply touching it was enough to make him contract some sort of lethal virus. He slumped over the desk for a moment before glancing back towards the back office door and making a b line for it. Dante watched him go, trying his best not to laugh. Yes, now  **_that_ ** was a feeling that he could relate to.

“Where ya headed Vergil,” Dante asked, barely hiding his amusement. It was time to see if his twin brother’s new anti-stabbing ethos was something that he was willing to stand by, even in the face of such a frustrating realization. He imagined that Vergil was more than ready to stab him right now.

He stopped, his back to his twin brother. After pausing for a moment, he peered over his shoulder, a slightly disbelieving, shocked, and overall surprised look on his face. “I need a nap, Dante. I think that jetlag has just set in.” He said simply before turning back in the direction of the door.

“You’re telling me, Vergil. Why do you think I sleep so much?” Dante said with s slight laugh, shaking his head as he faced forward into nothingness again. It was incredible how dark it got in there at night without lights to combat the inky blackness.

“Depression? A desire to avoid your problems for a bit longer? Other ill-defined reasons that I care little to discuss at this point in time?” Vergil shrugged nebulously, seemingly resigned to the reality of his fate. How in the world had those numbers gotten like that? It defied logic. It defied reason. Hell, it defied  _ science and math, too! _ “Those are just the reasons I can think of off of the top of my head. I am not your phycologist.”

At that point, Dante actually did laugh. It seemed that his financial state had managed to strip what little will to live and energy that Vergil still possessed in his body. That many zeros tended to do that to you. “I mean yea, that’s fair, but you don’t have to say it. I have feelings, you know?”

“Do not awaken me until either the utilities are restored or the office burns down Dante. This will take a substantial amount of work, and I am not at all well-rested enough as it currently stands.”

With that, Vergil closed the door to his bedroom, and a moment later, Dante could hear what was definitely his older twin hitting the bed with enough force to go through it. That right there was a mood, and he was positive that he had never once related so much to his brother’s questionable coping mechanisms. Maybe a good night’s rest was in store for them both. It was dark already anyway. What could it hurt? He was sure that no one would mind, least of all Vergil. Considering the way that he slept on the rare occasion that he actually did, he wouldn’t mind literally anything for a very long time. That could only be a good thing at this point.

(-~-)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t tell you why, but Google Docs has decided it hates my guts lately. It decided to crash no less than 7 times while I was writing this, taking whole paragraphs with it. It was a nightmare to write. In fact, it crashed once while I was writing this footnote, so this is my second time writing it. Joy! Anyway, happy 2nd DMC5 anniversary everyone! I hope you all had a good time reading this one! Can’t wait to read your comments. Now time to go cry in the corner over my lost paragraphs! Duh du du du du!


End file.
